Failed Attempt to Resume Toll Collection Sparks Chaos in Maputo
Efforts to resume toll collections at REVIMO-managed stations in the Greater Maputo area met with strong resistance, three months after their suspension was decreed by opposition figure Venâncio Mondlane. Motorists refused to pay, forcing the concessionaire to halt operations amid widespread community protests.
At the Ka-Tembe toll station, one of the most contentious due to its high fees, demonstrators occupied the area early in the morning, blocking collections. Tensions escalated when the Rapid Intervention Unit of the police intervened, using tear gas and detaining several protesters. In response, demonstrators erected barricades and disrupted traffic on the Maputo-Katembe bridge, causing widespread chaos.
Protesters demanded the release of detainees, compensation for damages to vehicles during the police operation, and a written guarantee from REVIMO to keep the tolls free. As of the report's conclusion, the standoff remained unresolved.
Other toll stations, such as Costa do Sol, avoided direct confrontations by leaving barriers open, while the TRAC-managed N4 toll road also faced challenges. Many motorists refused to pay, forcing some stations to allow free passage.
Public dissent stems from measures introduced by Mondlane in his 100-day plan, which suspended toll fees nationwide. Mondlane has described toll stations as symbols of economic oppression, accusing REVIMO of charging for roads where it has made no infrastructure investments.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Office (PGR) announced legal proceedings against Mondlane, citing the illegality of his decree suspending toll collections. The PGR also labeled the "Jornal do Povo," the publication used to disseminate the opposition's shadow government policies, as a clandestine outlet due to its lack of registration with the Gabinete de Informação (Office of Information). The PGR declared all measures within the decree null and void, further fueling tensions in an already polarized political climate.
