Deadly cyclone ravages Mozambique
BBC news 10/3/2008
At least seven people have been killed and thousands have fled their homes as Cyclone Jokwe continues to hit northern Mozambique, state radio reports. Some 500 buildings including schools and hospitals, have been destroyed and electricity pylons downed. The cyclone is expected to move south on Monday and people have been warned to stay out of the sea, as wind speeds reach 200km/h

Bottleneck at Mozambique border causes alarm
Mail & Guardian Online - Johannesburg,South Africa
Inefficiency at one of the border posts between South Africa and Mozambique is a key constraint to accelerated growth of trade and investment between the two countries, the Maputo Corridor Links Initiative (MCLI) said on Thursday. MCLI chief operating officer Barbara Mommen said delays in the movement of

Mozambique: wildcats and sabotage on the sugar cane plantations
libcom.org - London,UK
600 seasonal workers at the Xinavane sugar plantation in Maputo province of Mozambique have been on wildcat strike since last Friday (15th February). The workers are demanding a wage increase of over 100%, from 1,100 to 2,500 meticais (from US$46 to US$104), as well as protective clothing, overtime for working on Sundays and the right to a day off in

Cyclone Ivan killed 22 in Madagascar - officials
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Cyclone Ivan killed at least 22 people on Madagascar this week and the death toll is expected to rise, government officials said on Thursday. Ivan, one of the largest cyclones ever to hit Madagascar, was packing winds of more than 125 mph (200 kph) when it hit the Indian Ocean island's east coast earlier this week. It is also expected to bring heavy rains to flood-stricken Mozambique. The administrator of Madagascar's Mangoro Alaotra region said it had been possible to identify 20 of 22 people killed. "Eight of the victims were washed away, another 11 are victims of a collapsed house," David Alexander Robinson said ... About 5,000 people in Madagascar are still in need of aid as a result of another cyclone, Fame, that hit the storm-prone island in late January and killed at least 12 people ... In Mozambique, Ivan is expected to worsen flooding that has already engulfed parts of the southern African country. Flooding has forced thousands of villagers from their homes in Mozambique in recent weeks. Scientists say rising sea temperatures linked to climate change are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of cyclones in the tropics over the coming decades, and some suspect they have already.

Mozambique: Guebuza Launches Initiative On Mother And Child Health
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

11 Mozambican women die every day due to complications arising during pregnancy and childbirth. In a year, the death toll adds up to 3,840 women - for every 100,000 live births, 480 women die ... It is true that some other African countries have worse maternal mortality rates than Mozambique, and Guebuza mentioned the case of Mali, where 1000 women die for every 100,000 live births. Yet there is nothing inevitable about shockingly high death rates. In developed countries, death during childbirth is extremely rare. Guebuza cited Ireland, where there are now just two maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, "Of all health indicators, it is the maternal mortality rate that most reveals the gulf between developed and developing countries" ... "The death of a mother is a tragedy in a family, and a great loss in the community, because she is the moral, social and economic support of the family and the community", declared Guebuza ... As for the infant mortality rate (deaths among children before their first birthday), Guebuza put it at 178 per 1,000 live births. Almost 30 per cent of these deaths (48 per 1,000 live births) took place in the first month of life. The main cause of this neonatal death rate, Guebuza noted, were premature births, low weight at birth (often caused by malnutrition of the mother), asphyxia, sepsis, congenital syphilis, and other illnesses inherited from the mother ... A document from the Health Ministry notes that among the social factors contributing to maternal deaths, are the premature marriage of girls, and high levels of violence against women and children "practiced in the home, but tolerated by the community". One aspect not mentioned in this document, but which certainly plays a significant role in maternal mortality, is back-street abortions ...

Mozambique: Japan available to fund Nacala Special Economic Area
Macauhub - Macau,China
Maputo, Mozambique, 21 Feb – The Japanese government, via the Bank of Japan for International Cooperation, is available to provide funding for the the development of the Nacala Special Economic Area, a government official said in Maputo Tuesday. The pledge was reiterated during a meeting in Maputo Tuesday, which

Mozambique: LonZim acquires 79 percent of Macuti Tourist Village
Macauhub - Macau,China
London, United Kingdom, 21 Feb – British-owned company LonZim said Wednesday in London that it had acquired a 79 percent stake in the Macuti Tourist Village (ATdeM), in the Mozambican province of Beira, for US$4.25 million. ATdeM is the owner of the historical Dom Carlos and Estoril hotels located

Mozambique: Suppliers Propose Models for Fuel Subsidy
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The two main fuel distribution companies in Mozambique, BP and the publicly-owned PETROMOC, are presenting proposals on exactly how private transport operators can benefit from the subsidy on diesel announced by the government in the wake of the riots that paralysed Maputo on 5 February. The riots were provoked by an increase of up to 50 per cent in the fares charged by the