Maputo, Sept. 10, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambique Minister of Transport said on Wednesday that the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents in the country is "dramatic", noting that the situation is "serious and critical" after 575 deaths this year in accidents.
“The situation in Mozambique is serious and critical. The number of deaths and injuries on our roads is dramatic and continues to rise, already exceeding the average for our region,” said João Matlombe, minister of Transport and Logistics, during the opening of the sector’s coordinating council in Maputo, which will run until Friday.
The minister expressed “deep concern” about the accident rate in Mozambique, noting that the situation requires an “immediate and effective response,” as well as a change in attitude on the part of managers at the National Road Transport Institute (Inatro), the traffic police and all those involved in road safety.
For João Matlombe, strict compliance with the road safety standards already approved would prevent many of the night-time accidents involving passenger and freight transport in Mozambique, noting that the government is therefore determined to move forward with the digitisation of enforcement services, removing “all barriers and resistance to change”.
The Mozambican Minister of Transport wants solutions to prevent further deaths on the country’s roads, adding that the Government will not tolerate a culture of constant excuses, even though it recognises that “human behaviour contributes to more than 75%” of accidents.
“It is time to act. Society can no longer wait in the face of so much apathy, so many deaths and situations that we cannot justify. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of lamenting. Our obligation is to find solutions and try to prevent further deaths,” said João Matlombe.
The coordinating council of the Ministry of Transport, which began today, should also reflect on the creation of an accident investigation agency in Mozambique, an entity that is expected to be “autonomous and unique,” said Fernando Andela, spokesperson for the event.
At least 575 people died in road accidents between January and August this year in Mozambique, an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2024, the government said on Tuesday, admitting “critical challenges” in road safety.
“It should be noted that from January to August this year there were 575 fatalities [due to accidents], compared to 504 in the first eight months of 2024. The same is true for material damage, which is also showing an upward trend,” said Cabinet spokesman Inocêncio Impissa in statements at the end of a government meeting in Maputo.
The number of accidents recorded in the African country between January and August 2025 was 430, an increase of 20 compared to the same period last year, when 410 were recorded across the country, according to data presented by the spokesman.
Road accident rates in Mozambique are classified as dramatic, with authorities pointing to speeding and drink-driving as the main causes.
On April 15, 2025, the government approved a Road Safety Action Plan, which provides for a series of measures to reduce the number of road accidents, including increased enforcement, changes to legislation and interventions at critical points, as well as community awareness campaigns.
LN/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
