"The State must start paying for its irresponsibility", wrote Ossufo Momade, after visiting the administrative post of Lunga, in the district of Mossuril, in the province of Nampula, at the weekend, from where the fishing boat departed on 7 April, sinking about 100 metres from the coast of the island of Mozambique, when it was carrying 130 people on board, fleeing for fear of a local outbreak of cholera.

"We have witnessed up close the suffering experienced by our people due to total abandonment, with the island of Mozambique as the main refuge for their basic health and commercial needs, in addition to the lack of quality access routes, electricity, a health centre, markets and an agrarian development centre", described the leader of Renamo.

The accident killed 98 people, including 55 children, 34 women and nine men, with 16 survivors being recorded. According to the Mozambican maritime authorities, the fishing vessel was not authorised to carry passengers and was not in a condition to do so.

The owner and a person responsible for the vessel are in custody, the spokesperson for the police in the province of Nampula, Rosa Chaúque, told Lusa at the time.

"It was with sadness that we witnessed the arrest of the owner of the vessel, Mr. Hassane, for having authorised the population to board his vessel free of charge as a way of supporting the people, most of whom were children, without, however, checking maritime safety procedures", continued the leader of Renamo.

Momade added that the arrest "wears down the local population and that the blame for this act was not with the sailor or his owner, but with the population itself, which demanded it" from the owner of the vessel.

"Following the request for legal assistance from the same, we will provide the necessary legal assistance for his release and the consequent accountability of the State", guaranteed the politician.

On 18 April, the Mozambican Government announced the construction of a road and a bridge in the area of the shipwreck, as a way of avoiding the transport of passengers in boats that are not in good condition.

President Filipe Nyusi "instructed the Government to immediately work towards (...) rehabilitating the 36-kilometre road that connects Naguema to Lunga", said the Minister of Industry and Commerce.

Silvino Moreno was speaking at a plenary meeting of the Assembly of the Republic dedicated to questions from deputies to the executive.

"There is work that has already been started and a 210-metre bridge will also be built over the Monapo River, so that communication between Naguema and Lunga can be made easier and to discourage the use of small boats", declared Moreno.

The Council of Ministers decreed three days of national mourning following the accident, with several of Mozambique's partner countries expressing solidarity in the face of the tragedy.

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