Motorists Resist Toll Payments

By Aurélio Muianga and Ricardo Dias

Maputo (MOZTIMES)—On Monday, residents of the Maputo outskirts again refused to pay tolls on the access roads to the capital city.

The refusal to pay toll fees is part of a campaign announced by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who continues to reject the results of last year’s presidential election and has threatened to form a parallel government.

The two companies operating the tolls on access roads to the capital claim they are suffering financial losses due to non-payment, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. These companies include are Rede Viária de Moçambique (REVIMO), a state-majority-owned concessionaire managing three tollgates around Maputo, and the South African company Trans-African Concession (TRAC), which oversees two tollgates along the main corridor connecting Maputo’s port to neighbouring South Africa, National Road Number 4 (EN4).

On Monday morning, motorists refused to pay toll fees, causing chaos on the roads leading to the capital. Police resorted to firing tear gas grenades to disperse the protesters, but the action proved ineffective. In the end, motorists crossed the tolls without making any payments.

During the protests against the election results, several tollgates in rural areas and districts far from the capital have been vandalised. However, the three main tollgates providing access to Maputo have been spared due to increased police security. Now, residents are threatening to vandalise these tollgates if the collection of tolls resumes.

Claims are regularly made that the tolls are exorbitant. But the toll for light vehicles at the tollgate between Maputo and Matola is only 40 meticais – much less than the price of a litre of petrol.

In addition to resisting toll fees, Venâncio Mondlane has argued that Maputo residents should not pay water bills and that electricity tariffs should be lowered. However, these measures face significant practical challenges, as service providers could cut off supply in cases of non-payment. Furthermore non-payment of water bills would lead to the collapse of the water companies, throwing large numbers of workers out of their jobs. (AM/RD)

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