Maputo, Dec. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambican Minister of Transport pointed to "total recklessness" in an accident that killed seven people on Sunday in the Manhiça district of Maputo and promised exemplary measures against those involved.
"Exemplary measures must be taken against these individuals and against all those who, unfortunately and selfishly, kill people. The videos that have been circulated clearly show the driver's total recklessness, so it is a regrettable situation," said João Matlombe, minister of transport and logistics, quoted on Monday by the media, without mentioning the driver in question.
The incident in question is a road accident that occurred on Sunday, involving a heavy passenger vehicle travelling from Maputo to Quelimane (in the centre of the country) that collided with a semi-collective passenger vehicle travelling towards neighbouring South Africa.
In addition to the seven dead and two other people who were seriously injured, there were some minor injuries and extensive material damage to both vehicles, José Novela, head of Instruction and Public Education at the Traffic Department in Maputo province, told the media on Sunday.
Among the causes of the accident are speeding and illegal overtaking, according to the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, with the Mozambican police also advancing the same causes.
Speaking from Porto, Portugal, the Minister of Transport said that an investigation had been ordered, involving the National Road Transport Institute (Inatro) and the Mozambican police, with a view to clarifying the accident and subsequently taking the necessary measures to reduce road accidents in the country.
"We have already notified the company [of the bus involved]. Then, the results of the work that Inatro is doing with the authorities will, of course, be made public," added João Matlombe.
On Sunday, Mozambican president Daniel Chapo mourned the deaths of the seven people in the accident, asking drivers to drive carefully, responsibly and attentively to reduce road accidents.
In a statement from the Presidency, the Mozambican head of state stressed that "respect for the highway code remains fundamental to preserving lives and preventing further bloodshed on national roads".
On 4 December, the Mozambican government announced that it wanted "zero tolerance" for offending drivers to prevent road accidents during the festive season, said the minister of Transport and Logistics.
On 27 November, the Mozambican president warned the police to take measures to curb road accidents, which he also associates with corruption within the force, saying he could not understand how commanders could "sleep" in this scenario.
"Comrades, what are you waiting for to take corrective measures to stop road accidents? It makes no sense that you can sleep while innocent lives are lost on the roads, due to criminal patronage and complicity of those who could control and prevent these road accidents," criticised Daniel Chapo.
On the same occasion, the head of state of Mozambique pointed out that from January to September alone, 408 road accidents were recorded across the country, compared to 459 in 2024, causing 662 deaths, while in the same period in 2024 there were 555 fatalities, data that shows that road accidents claim more lives than malaria, which recorded 308 hospital deaths in 2024.
VIYS/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
