8 FEBRUARY 2000
Mozambique has been experiencing unusually high torrential rains over the past four days, especially in southern Mozambique and in Maputo City and surrounding areas. The city of Matola has been particularly badly hit, the rain swamping hundreds of homes, leaving people desolate and flooding the main access routes to Maputo.
Entry into Maputo by road is impossible. The access points at Ressano Garcia and Matola (near Maputo City) have been particularly badly affected.
Some bridges in the south of Maputo Province have been washed away and roads are flooded, resulting in the closing thereof from Boane to Matola, Matola to Maputo and from Machava to Maputo. The South African Government is providing emergency relief to Mozambique.
South African citizens are advised not to travel to Mozambique by road. It is hoped that the situation will normalise within the course of the next two weeks.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Pretoria