OWN CORRESPONDENT, Maputo | Thursday 10.00PM.
MOZAMBICAN authorities on Thursday again accused South Africa of aggravating the drought in Mozambique by not releasing water from the Inkomati river as agreed.
According to Romao Mutisse, district administrator for Moamba, 90km east of Maputo, South Africa is supposed to release two cubic metres of water per second from the Inkomati river, according to mutual agreement. The river has its source in South Africa, flowing into the Indian Ocean in Maputo Bay.
Without the water, Mutisse forsees major problems for Mozambique’s peasant farmers.
“We will start the new agricultural season without water and it will also affect bigger farms because these farmers will not be able to use their irrigation pumps.
“We have the same problem with Zimbabwe, who built an irrigation system on their side of the Revue river,” Mutisse said. Zimbabwe should be allowing sufficient water across the border to properly supply the central Mozambican province of Manica.
The country has limited water resources, and only a third of the population has clean drinking water. Background articles: