PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR TAKES OVER ROAD INSPECTION

The governor of the central Mozambican province of Sofala, Carvalho Muaria, has promised to take personal control of inspecting the main roads in the province, reports the Beira daily paper “Diario de Mocambique”.Muaria is particularly concerned with the state of the road from Beira to Zimbabwe. Although it was rehabilitated last year, this year’s rains have reopened the potholes, particularly on the stretch between Tica and Mount Xiluvo.Speaking at a meeting of the Sofala Provincial Roads Commission, Muaria said this was the last time he would tolerate throwing public money away in filling in the same potholes, year after year.He thought that the poor quality of some roads was because road inspectors had not done their job properly. “We want the technical department of the National Roads Administration (ANE) in Sofala to monitor its inspectors so that we don’t continue to experience situations such as those along the Tica-Mount Xiluvo stretch”, Muaria said.He would therefore take it upon himself to inspect personally the activities of the Sofala ANE delegation. Muaria also insisted that all the materials used in road repairs must first be submitted to laboratory inspection.The Provincial Director of Public Works, Marcelo Amaro, said that ANE is currently filling in the potholes to restore the Beira-Zimbabwe road to its “normal” condition. He agreed with Muaria that “professionalism and inspection should always be present in undertaking public works, so that the provincial government does not spend its few resources solely on road maintenance”.Amaro said that, despite the rains, most roads in Sofala remain passable, though in some cases the journey can only be made by four wheel drive vehicles.