MOZAMBIQUE 124
MAPUTO DEMONSTRATORS
ZAMBEZE FLOOD
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News reports & clippings no. 124 from Joseph Hanlon
07 February 2008 ()
This is an irregular service of news summaries, mainly based on recent AIM and Noticias reports.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, see note at end.
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Daily flood and rainfall reports and forecasts from the National Water Directorate (DNA, Direcçao Nacional de Aguas) are again being posted on
http://www.open.ac.uk/technology/mozambique/
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2 DEAD IN DEMONSTRATIONS;
FARE RISE REVERSED,
BUT BUS OWNERS STRIKE
Maputo was quiet, empty, and tense Wednesday, as minibus (chapa) owners refused to send out their buses in response to the government’s reversal late Tuesday night of a 50% fare rise. Many shops, businesses sand schools remained closed, and some roads were still partly blocked by barricades.
The fare rise was supposed to take effect Tuesday, but it provoked unprecedented and widespread demonstrations. Noticias today (7 Feb 2007) says demonstrators “literally took control of nearly all neighbourhoods” in Maputo and Matola. Barricades of burning tyres, trees, cement blocks and derelict cars blocked many main roads.
Two people died and 103 were injured Tuesday, according to Noticias this morning (7 Feb 2008). Maputo central hospital reported that 58 of the injured were shot by police.
The bus fare increase came after increases in the rice of bread and rice.
Most of the demonstrators appear to have been young men. Mozambique’s rapid economic growth and substantial expansion of education have not created jobs for young people. Increasing thousands of young people earn their living in the so-called “informal sector”, often on the edge of legality, and earning tiny amounts of money. Tuesday’s demonstration showed that these young people on the margins of society can be mobilised for violent demonstrations.
WATER LEVELS FALLING
BUT MORE FLOODS COMING
On most rivers, water levels are slowly falling. But heavy rains continue in the north of Mozambique and Zambia and Malawi. The Chire River, which flows south from Malawi and enters the Zambeze downstream of the Cahora Bassa dam, is now at record levels, higher than the floods of 2001. But Cahora Bassa itself has cut its discharges to 3,900 cubic metres per second.
The Kariba dam upstream on the Zambeze will start dumping water on 11 February. The water will take about five days to reach Tete and nine days to reach Marromeu. Further flooding is expected and the INGC (national disasters institute) says it will attempt to move another 40,000 people before that flood hits. About 100,000 people are already in accommodation centres.
At Caia last weekend, flood levels were above those of both 2001 and 2007
River Zambeze flood levels:
Tete previous flood peaks:
3 March 2001 - 2.96 metres above alert level
10 February 2007 - 1.97 metres above alert level
Tete this year:
11 Jan 2008 - 1.16 metres above alert level
26 Jan 2008 - 0.85 metres below alert
29 Jan 2008 - 2.56 metres above alert
31 Jan 2008 – 2.69 metres above alert
3 Feb 2008 – 0.20 metres above alert
6 Feb 2008 – 0.21 metres below alert
Caia previous flood peaks
10 Mar 2001 – 3.14 metres above alert level
16 Feb 2007 – 2,57 metres above alert level
Caia this year
3 Feb 2008 – 3.40 metres above alert
6 Feb 2008 – 2.96 metres above alert.
Marromeu previous flood peaks
12 Mar 2001 – 2.93 metres above alter level
18 Feb 2007 – 2.26 metres above alert level
the top of the dyke is 3.25 metres above alert
Marromeu this year
3 Feb 2008 – 2.64 metres above alert
6 Feb 2008 – 2.80 metres above alert
Discharge from Cahora Bassa dam
7 Jan 2008 - 5100 cubic metres per second
13 Jan 2008 - 6600 - highest this year
20 Jan 2008 - 3617
28 Jan 2008 - 5945
6 Feb 2008 - 3862
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