Mozambique has announced plans to commence with the construction of a new port immediately north of Xai-Xai, about 215 kilometres north of Maputo on the EN1 highway.
The Port of Chongoene will be almost solely responsible for outflows from a heavy-sands project at Chibuto, just over 50 kilometres to the northwest interior.
Rádio Moçambique reported that Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Carlos Zacarias, had said that the feasibility study had already been carried out.
It includes title for the use and exploitation of land.
Chibuto, situated on the shores of the Limpopo, still struggles with inadequate logistical linkages which were affected – if not entirely washed away – during extreme flooding more than 20 years ago.
Speaking during the announcement of the new port, Zacarias confirmed that the transportation by road of export material from Chibuto to Chongoene would not be “optimal”.
He said the government was looking at overcoming infrastructural challenges impeding linkages between Chibuto and Chongoene.
It’s not clear whether this includes the use of the Limpopo, which runs into the Indian Ocean immediately south of Xai-Xai at Zongoene.
It stands to reason that in a typical case of “lost in translation”, the new port will be at Zongoene and not Chongoene.
“Besides the manifest intention that we have to go ahead with the dock as quickly as possible, there are some aspects which have to be clarified,” Zacarias said.
