Mozambique: CFM Loses About 20 Million Meticais to Theft

22 May 2023
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)

Maputo — Mozambique's publicly owned Ports and Rail Company (CFM), in the central region of the country, has lost about 20 million meticais (about 31,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate) as a result of the theft of railway equipment since January.

The data was recently revealed by Luis Gamboa, CFM security and health representative, after the discovery of stolen equipment (railway tracks and fasteners) in a company worksite belonging to a Chinese individual in Inhamizua neighbourhood, in the central province of Sofala.

"The Chinese company in question had lost its licence to function, but now it is back and I do not know how. We call on the bodies of the administration of justice to help us to fight this evil. The Police does its work well but when it comes to the courts I find out that our efforts are taken for granted', Gamboa said.

According to him, CFM lost, last year, over 60 million meticais as a result of the same type of theft. "Therefore, we would like to see more severe measures against the thieves', he declared.

Very recently, Gamboa added, there was a robbery of new equipment on the section of track between Beira and Zimbabwe.

Part of this equipment was found at the same place owned by the Chinese citizen, whose activity is to manufacture steel for house construction.

"They stole railway tracks and fasteners in Manga neighbourhood, in Beira. The worst did not happen thanks to the rapid reaction of the authorities', he said.

For his turn, the Police spokesperson in Beira, Dércio Chacate, said that "it was concluded that a major part of the stolen material is used to make steel. The people involved in the crime do not respect the passengers' lives.'

The Chinese man is still on the run but the police have promised to detain him and to hold him accountable.

For years, CFM, the electricity company EDM, and the telecommunications company Tmcel, have complained of the theft of metallic materials, such as rails, cables, and parts of electricity pylons. It is believed that much of this material is sold to scrap metal merchants.

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