24 July 2008
Muembe — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza inaugurated a new bridge on Wednesday over the Lucheringo river, linking the districts of Muembe and Sanga in the northern province of Niassa.
The ceremony took place shortly after he arrived in Muembe town as part of his four day working visit to Niassa.
This bridge, that cost about five million meticais (20,000 US dollars), is 36.8 metres long and 4.4. metres wide. The money for the new bridge was granted by the Irish government.
It replaces an earlier bridge that was in such poor condition that not even a motorbike could cross it safely, particularly during the rainy season. Now, even a 30 tonne truck can drive over the river without any problems.
Road access to remote areas, particularly during the rainy season. is one of the main constraints on development in most of the Niassa districts.
At the ceremony, Guebuza stressed the fact that the bridge was built by Mozambican companies operating in Niassa. "We came here on a day when a safe link between the Muembe and Sanga districts is being established, an investment granted by Ireland", Guebuza told the rally that followed the inauguration. "The bridge that was damaged by the waters of the river is no more. Now we have a solid bridge".
Muembe has been experiencing significant economic growth. A report presented to Guebuza said that food production in this district increased from 7,933 tonnes in the 2004/05 agricultural year to 11,414 tonnes in 2006/07. To guarantee food security, Muembe needs at least 6,000 tonnes of grain, a figure that was greatly exceeded in last year's harvest.
The problem with these figures is that they are estimates of what was produced, most of which is consumed by the farmers and their families. Not much is sold - the official records show sales of only 152 tonnes of crops from the 2004/05 campaign, rising to 354 tonnes in 2007.
One of the major problems that Muembe faces is electricity. Muembe town is supplied by a generator, which functions irregularly, and provides insufficient power to cater for the needs of consumers. Answering this concern, Guebuza told the rally that electricity generated at the Cahora Bassa dam, on the Zambezi, will soon reach Muembe. "It is a matter of time", he promised.
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