Maputo — Mozambique's publicly owned airports company, ADM, has received more than a million passengers this year, thus recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic somewhat earlier than expected.
According to Jose Candrinho, the director of operations of ADM, cited in Thursday's issue of the independent newssheet 'Mediafax', the landmark of a million passengers was reached on 18 December.
This was the first time since 2019 that the airports had carried a million passengers. The flow of passengers through Mozambican airports had suffered a sharp decline as from 2020, due to the restrictive measures imposed by the government in response to the pandemic.
The plans of ADM indicated that the number of passengers using the country's airports would not reach a million a year until 2024 or 2025. But Candrinho announced that on 18 December "we reached the landmark of the millionth passenger, which is of great importance for us, since the last time we reached this number was before Covid-19'.
He added that in 2023 ADM made major investments which improved facilities for passengers, notably at the embarkation gates. This was possible because of the increase in flights. Mozambique Airlines (LAM), for example, has resumed flights between Maputo and Lisbon, as well as direct flights between Johannesburg and various Mozambican cities. In October, the South African company Flysafair began scheduled flights to Maputo.
In 2022, said Candrinho, only 850,000 passengers passed through Mozambican airports.
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1131223E TANZANIAN DIES IN ILLEGAL MINE COLLAPSE
Maputo, 28 Dec (AIM) - An illegal miner of Tanzanian nationality died on Sunday when a mine shaft collapsed in part of the concession granted to the company Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
According to a statement from MRM, the Tanzanian has been identified as 31 year old Maulide Maunau, who had been living in Nanhupo A, one of the villages that illegal miners use for temporary shelter.
"At 20.00 on 24 December, a security official identified a group of 25 illegal miners inside the MRM concession', said the statement. The MRM control centre was immediately informed, and sent a patrol to the area.
But when the patrol arrived, it found that the shaft dug by the illegal miners had collapsed due to the instability of the soil, resulting in the death of one of the miners.
MRM say that the district, provincial and national authorities were informed of the incident. On Monday, although it was Christmas Day and a public holiday, "a team from Sernic (National Criminal Investigation Service) went to the site of the incident, removed the body and delivered it to the family'.
This was the third serious incident this month involving illegal miners. The previous incidents resulted in injuries to eight security guards and three miners.
The MRM statement added that the company "has noted an increase in illegal mining during the rainy season, due to the humidity which makes the soil lighter and easier to dig, as well as the existence of pools of water, which facilitate washing the minerals'.
But MRM warns that increased humidity increases the risk of mudslides and the collapse of shafts. "It is under these conditions that most deaths of illegal miners occur', it added.
MRM said it is in permanent contact with nearby communities, to make them aware of the dangers of illegal mining.
The national and provincial authorities have been informed in the hope that they will take action "against those who finance, facilitate and encourage the illegal trade in Mozambican rubies, which damages Mozambique and its people due to the loss of life and the loss of fiscal revenue from the country's mineral resources'.
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1141223E DERAILMENT HALTS COAL TRAINS TO NACALA
Maputo, 28 Dec (AIM) - The circulation of trains from Moatize, in the central Mozambican province of Tete, to Cuamba in Niassa has been interrupted since Monday because of a derailment in which two locomotives and 36 wagons loaded with coal came off the tracks.
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This is part of the rail line from Moatize across southern Malawi to the northern line and the mineral port of Nacala-a-Velha.
According to a press release from Nacala Logistics, the company that operates the Nacala Corridor, the derailment occurred about 590 kilometres from Moatize in Tobue locality, in the Nacala district of Mecanhelas.
"So far, Nacala Logistics has not recorded any injuries or any damage to the surrounding communities', said the release.
The company added that the temporary interruption of traffic along this stretch of line will allow the restoration of conditions to resume the safe circulation of trains.
Nacala Logistics said an investigation is under way to ascertain the causes of the accident.
"Since the accident occurred, Nacala Logistics has mobilized several logistical and operational teams to ensure that traffic can move along the line again as quickly as possible', said the release. But it gave no forecast for how long the repairs will take.
