Maputo — The public, including members and supporters of the ruling Frelimo Party, boycotted en masse a rally in the southern Mozambican town of Homoine at which the new governor of Inhambane province, Agostinho Trinta, was to have been presented.

According to a report in Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", the boycott was a protest against the performance of Homoine district administrator Luis Fernando, blamed in particular for a chronic shortage of drinking water, lack of rubbish collection, and the poor state of the roads in the town.

Local people told "Noticias" that they stayed away from the rally because the district administration was not implementing decisions taken by the provincial government, and this had led to increased decay of living conditions in the town.

So when Trinta went to address the rally he found a cultural group consisting of two drummers and thee dancers, and about half a dozen other people.

Some of the problems of the town were clearly visible to the governor - large craters in the roads caused by erosion, piles of uncollected rubbish, and tall grass even invading the residence of the administrator.

Trinta, despite the lack of an audience, did make a speech - in which he gave Fernando and the rest of the district executive a deadline of 90 days to change the face of Homone.

"I'm coming back here in three months, and I want to find changes", he said. "I want to see everything transformed".

He was also annoyed that the district government had programmed a visit for him to Pembe lake, the main source of fish for the district. But the lake is regarded as sacred, and nobody goes there without first asking permission from the traditional authorities, and participating in a traditional ceremony.

But Fernando had not contacted the Pembe traditional authorities, and no ceremony was held. Trinta ordered the district government to draw up a plan to protect the lake.