Maputo — The final part of the platform of the new bridge over the river Zambezi in central Mozambique is being put into place on Tuesday, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza announced as he opened a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Frelimo Party in the southern city of Matola.

The bridge, linking Caia in Sofala province to Chimuara in Zambezia, is a key link in the main north-south highway, and will replace an unreliable ferry service. It will make it possible to drive uninterruptedly from the far south to the far north of the country.

According to Francisco Pereira, chairperson of the government's Road Fund, the two banks of the river are now physically joined by the bridge. However, the bridge is not yet complete. The finishing touches will take until July at the latest, Pereira said.

The bridge cost about 80 million US dollars, and this money was made available by the European Commission, Sweden, Italy and the Mozambican government itself.

Guebuza stressed that the construction of the new bridge was possible "thanks to the commitment of our government, to the valuable contribution of our development partners, to the professionalism of Mozambican and foreign technical experts, and to the dedication of the workers from various countries".

The bridge, Guebuza said, was just one example of the achievements made by the Frelimo government. "Frelimo is a party of achievements. Of this our people are certain", he declared. "Our people know that when Frelimo promises something, it carries it out".

In compliance with the 2004 Frelimo election manifesto, he said, the government had extended the school and health networks, stepped up rural electrification, built and repaired roads and bridges, and improved water supply and sanitation. It had fought against the obstacles to development, notably by improving the services to the public by the state apparatus.

Guebuza recalled that in 2008, the number of leprosy cases dropped to such a low level that this ancient disease was considered eliminated as a public health problems. Leprosy had been conquered, "thanks to the multiple interventions made by the Frelimo government".

With Frelimo in power, "today is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be still better than today", he said. With a government led by Frelimo, "the Mozambican people can be certain that it will continue to improve its living conditions".

This is likely to be the final meeting of the Central Committee before the general and provincial elections scheduled for 28 October. Guebuza said that it will draw up the general outlines of the Frelimo election manifestos, taking into account the recommendations made by the Frelimo national cadre conference held over the weekend.

Present at the two day meeting are 172 of the 180 full members of the Central Committee and all 11 candidate members.