Maputo, Dec. 10, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambican president on Wednesday criticised the "trivialisation of life on the country's roads" in light of the number of road accidents recorded, noting that accidents occur with the "complacency" of those responsible for enforcement.
"There is a trivialisation of human life on our roads, often resulting from the deviant behaviour of some drivers, especially in semi-collective passenger transport," said Daniel Chapo, quoted in a statement from the Presidency sent to the media.
In a message alluding to the celebration of the International Human Rights Day, which is marked today, the Head of State noted that accidents sometimes occur with the "complacency of public entities responsible for enforcement and compliance with the Highway Code".
Daniel Chapo called for roads to cease being a "stage for auctioning human life," after Mozambique recorded 408 road accidents across the country between January and September alone, causing 662 deaths.
"Our roads must cease to be a kind of auction stage for human life, with the consequent destruction of our families' futures, especially in this season, when we celebrate Christmas or Family and New Year's Days," the Presidency's statement added.
In the document, Chapo also reaffirmed the Mozambique state's commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, recalling that Mozambique is a signatory to "numerous international and regional conventions".
"This is a superb occasion to reiterate the Government's commitment to promoting and defending human rights as the role of the state," stressed the Mozambican president.
The Mozambique Minister of Transport today suspended the driver and the transport company involved in an accident that killed seven people last Sunday in Maputo, southern Mozambique, in "defence of the lives of citizens".
According to the Mozambican Ministry of Transport, the CityLink bus overtook "without taking the necessary precautions" and subsequently collided "violently" with a minibus travelling in the opposite direction.
Among the causes of the accident, the ministry points to speeding and illegal overtaking, with the Mozambican police also citing the same causes.
On Sunday, Chapo lamented the death of seven people in the accident, asking drivers to drive prudently, responsibly and attentively to curb 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 our 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 cause more victims than malaria, which recorded 308 hospital deaths in 2024.
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