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Manuel de Araújo, the mayor of Quelimane, has accused the National Roads Administration (ANE) of sabotaging his administration by withholding funds for road rehabilitation. He stated that the delay in disbursements has halted critical infrastructure projects, impacting the city’s development and public services.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Manuel de Araújo, the mayor of the central Mozambican city of Quelimane, has accused the National Roads Administration (ANE) of sabotaging his administration by not disbursing funds for the rehabilitation of two roads in the city.
Araújo is one of the most high profile municipal opposition figures. He has been mayor of Quelimane since 2011, when he won a municipal by-election, standing on the ticket of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM). He was then re-elected three times (in 2013, 2018 and 2023). In the last two of these elections, he abandoned the MDM and ran for tRenamo.
According to the mayor, speaking to reporters, the non-disbursement of funds is compromising road improvement in Quelimane.
“This kind of situation forces interruption of various work taking place”, he said.
Araújo claimed that as a result of this “sabotage behaviour”, the rehabilitation of 25 June Avenue was abandoned last year and “this year, the disbursement has not yet been made for several months to the contractor responsible for another road.”
“The Roads Administration allocates a certain amount annually to municipalities, and this amount for Quelimane usually ranges between 12 and 13 million meticais. Based on this information, we launch the tender and, in three to four months, we award the contract”, he said.
However, he explained, despite the municipality having fulfilled the required formalities and submitted the invoices, seven months have passed without the ANE making the disbursements.
“Because of that behaviour, the works on Avenida Eduardo Mondlane and Avenida 25 de Junho were halted”, he said.
Manuel de Araújo has been a prominent figure in Quelimane’s local politics since 2011, representing the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) before switching to Renamo. His tenure has been marked by challenges in securing funding for municipal projects, particularly from national agencies like ANE, which plays a crucial role in road infrastructure. The ongoing issues with ANE reflect broader tensions between local governments and national authorities in Mozambique, often affecting service delivery and community development.
