The northern province of Niassa needs 265 million meticais (US$4.1 million) to fund the maintenance of roads in order to minimise the impact of natural disasters, especially extreme rainfall.

Referring to a study conducted in that province, Celso Cardoso of the National Roads Administration (ANE), quoted the Maputo daily newspaper "Noticias" on 5 January, said that without maintenance roads will be hit by mudslides or damage to the structures used to drain stormwater.

According to Cardoso, several interventions are urgently needed because many of these sections do not have alternative routes. Without such interventions, some sections will be isolated from the rest of the province indefinitely.

"The rains that have been falling heavily in recent days are contributing to the saturation of the soil, a fact that is already hindering the free movement of vehicles of all kinds", he said.

Recently, Cardoso said, ANE mobilised contractors to ensure the maintenance of some stretches of road to avoid interruption in traffic.