Maputo, Dec. 15, 2025 (Lusa) - The increasing theft of accessories in Maputo, literally ripped from vehicles, has created an informal market for riveters, who attach these parts, generating business and livelihoods, as well as security for those who do not want surprises when they return to their cars.

"Nowadays, almost everything is stolen from a car. They dismantle mirrors, emblems, those little lights. They steal various things, which is why we rivet almost the entire car. It's the general protection we've been doing," Ernesto Matsinhe, 32, a riveter in the Mozambican capital since 2013, explained to Lusa.

On a tour of Maputo's main avenues, it is clear that almost all the cars on the road are riveted, particularly in areas where they are easy to remove and parts are in high demand on the black market.

The most targeted parts are accessories for light vehicles, namely rearview mirrors, emblems, headlights, deflectors, mudguards and bumpers, which are then sold on parallel markets, also in the centre of the capital, not far from the places where they were stolen.

This scenario creates job opportunities for men who find riveting accessories a profitable occupation, helping them escape unemployment.

"We tend to protect and even make it difficult, because we're not going to say they don't steal. Some come at night and pull, because sometimes they don't see the rivet," Matsinhe added.

With what he earns from each job, he says he can support his family, despite the growing number of places where drivers can have their vehicles riveted, which is increasing competition and reducing earnings.

Before, he says, he could receive an average of 10 vehicles a day, while now there are days when he can rivet only one, with the price per rivet ranging from 50 to 100 meticais (between €0.68 and €1.38). A single car can have more than 20 rivets, in a scenario where the owner seeks to protect all the most targeted accessories.

Customers range from newly imported vehicles to older ones that are changing hands.

"Here we rivet almost every type of car, even new cars or cars that someone has just bought from another person. They come because they can buy it from someone who didn't want to rivet and they want to protect it because they know it will be stolen," he explains.

That is why Calisto Chirindza, 35, another riveter in Maputo for about 15 years, says that the busiest days are those when the ship unloads imported vehicles at the port and, to drive around the city, customers immediately go to have their vulnerable accessories riveted.

"It helps to minimise [the cost of living], there's no way around it," says Chirindza, who also believes that his work helps to reduce the theft of accessories.

"There are many thieves here, and they vandalise any car. Now, when customers' cars are vandalised, they always come running to us. There are certain things that we didn't even know could be removed, but when customers bring us the part saying “fit this, plus that”, we end up learning that it can be removed," he says.

Next to the largest black market in central Maputo, Lucas Santana rivets another second-hand accessory that the owner has just bought at that market to replace the stolen one, but now also riveted, to avoid surprises.

At 30 years of age, Santana says he averages one to two customers a day who come to him to rivet rearview mirrors, their covers, and headlights, among other things.

"I've been doing this job for five years. I nail, rivet and protect the car so that vandals don't vandalise the car parts," he said.

One of his customers is Castigo Manuel, who says he has been robbed three times, all in Maputo, and therefore opts for riveting because it is a cheaper alternative to replacing the parts.

"I'm here at Estrela [black market] to rivet this car and buy the parts because we suffer from vandals who, for example, when they find a car, they take the parts and then come to sell them here," said Castigo Manuel, while waiting for his car, which is being riveted. One of the accessories, after being stolen, had to be bought again, but now with the understanding that it needed to be riveted.

"We have already suffered several [thefts], this is the third car to have parts stolen," he said, explaining that in some cases, drivers recognise stolen parts from their cars for sale on the black market: "But there's no way to complain."

Alberto Luís is in the same situation, having just had his rear-view mirror stolen. He says that the many rivets on his car were worth it to prevent theft.

"I riveted it because of the people who are stealing. That's why you can see that the whole car is full of rivets. Even today [...] they tried to steal the mirror," he says.

Despite police arrests, these thefts have become routine in Maputo.

"We're in a bad way here in Estrela with thefts," laments Alberto Luís, adding that with riveted accessories, drivers can drive around with at least some relief and confidence before getting back in their cars.

SYCO/ADB // ADB.

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