Minister Mathlombe squanders his term on empty promises

While the government announces major projects to address the transport crisis in the Maputo Metropolitan Area, thousands of passengers continue to face long waits, overcrowding, and undignified conditions at bus stops every day. Amidst grand projects, groundbreaking ceremonies, and modernization announcements, passengers continue to face the age-old battle for a place on public transport. The urban mobility crisis raises uncomfortable questions: does the State want to solve the problem, or is it merely announcing that it will solve it someday?When will public transport cease to be a daily struggle and become what it should have been from the beginning: a dignified public service? Ultimately, the controversy raised by Artimiza Magaia regarding the "BRT" raises a question that goes beyond the BRT itself: what is the State's priority in the face of a transport crisis that already affects the daily routine of citizens? What combination of measures is capable of alleviating the crisis today and structurally transforming the system tomorrow? Artimiza Magaia questions the priority given to large projects and advocates for immediate solutions to restore some dignity to passengers.“Mozambique should abandon projects on paper,” says Artimiza Magaia.

The public transport crisis in the city of Maputo and Matola is once again dominating the national debate, this time after commentator Artimiza Magaia harshly criticized the Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Mathlombe, on a television program. At issue is what the analyst describes as "paper projects" delivered through large media announcements that, on the ground, do not translate into any concrete solutions for the population. The transport problem in the Mozambican capital demands practical answers, not just laying the first stone.Magaia's criticism takes on a political dimension when he questions the responsibility associated with the projects announced by the Government."He has to say that he's launching the project because he already has funding. He either already has funding or he already has the money to start the work," he demanded, calling the repetition of broken promises a "joke." "The people are in pain. They're tired of hearing promises, of hearing dreams that never come true."The analyst argues that a project should only be launched when concrete conditions exist for its execution, including funding or resources available to begin implementation. Otherwise, according to her, there is a risk of transforming project launches into a succession of promises without visible results. A public policy is not measured solely by the size of the project presented, but also by its ability to move beyond the planning stage and produce concrete results for citizens. A Ministry of Transport cannot be evaluated only by the number of projects announced. It must be evaluated by its ability to make the system work.

One of the central points of Magaia's criticism is the Bus Rapid Transit project, known as Move Maputo, a project valued at 250 million dollars and which, in its first phase, covers the Metropolitan Area. The analyst questions whether investments of this magnitude should be the immediate priority given a population that continues to face difficulties simply in obtaining transportation to work. The issue raised is not necessarily the rejection of structural projects, but their relationship to the immediate needs of the population."I want to tell Mathlombe that the BRT is nothing to us," he stated, arguing that while the BRT is being planned, a fleet of 200 to 300 minibuses should be brought to Maputo and Matola. "It's just a matter of buying transport specifically for Maputo, for Matola, for the areas that need transport," he maintained.From their perspective, some of the resources could be channeled towards acquiring a fleet specifically for the Maputo and Matola areas where demand is highest. After all, a large-scale transport system can represent a structural transformation, but its social utility also depends on its ability to address existing problems during the transition period.

Magaia was particularly critical of the minister's stance, who, it should be remembered, was a transport councilor before assuming the portfolio. "Until you feel the pressure, until you've experienced the suffering of the people, you'll hardly understand the transport problem," she retorted, describing situations of citizens pushing each other, risking their lives perched on the bus and tearing their clothes to get to work. "As Minister of Transport, I am not fulfilling my mission. My mission is to arrive at a bus stop and see everyone boarding the bus. And boarding with dignity," she emphasized, lamenting that passengers no longer seek comfort, but only a place to get to work. For Magaia, "it's not about selling projects, it's not about selling dreams, it's not about selling luxury that is needed. It's a basic framework that we must maintain," she stated, arguing that someone who has been a minibus driver knows the reality of this sector better than any manager. "The minibus driver knows that here I only need, perhaps, a fleet of 10 vehicles." According to the same source, there are more than 300 buses with minor breakdowns in public companies and the private sector. "With a minimum of funding, it would be enough to get us out of the transition problem in two months," he assured, welcoming the arrival of a subsidy to the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.

Addressing the minister directly, Magaia appealed: "He has to leave a mark and say that I failed in the municipality, but I didn't want to fail in the government. And that everything I have to start, I have to finish." Otherwise, he argues, he cannot be considered a role model for young people.The essential question is not who speaks the loudest. It's who can present verifiable solutions to a problem that has gone beyond being a simple urban inconvenience.Magaia praised the mayors of Maputo, Matola, and Marracuene. "The mayors speak less, appear less on television. But you should see their actions," he stated.According to the analyst, mayors appear less frequently in the media, but in her assessment, they present some concrete initiatives on the ground and seek partners to address local problems. She supports the argument that public policies should not be measured by the number of interviews, trips, or ceremonies, but rather by the results they deliver to citizens.

Another aspect raised by the analyst is the need to differentiate between urban transport solutions and solutions intended for rural areas.The analyst also criticized the lack of a differentiated approach to rural and urban transportation.Magaia argues that the means and strategies must respond to the characteristics of each territory."The tractor, out in the countryside, isn't for the city. That's a means of transport that can be used in rural areas, where there are problems with mud and difficult access," he explained. "But we're talking about the city of Maputo, where there's a lot of utter humiliation."This issue is particularly relevant because a national transport policy needs to recognize that Mozambique has very different territorial realities. Mobility in a large metropolitan area does not necessarily meet the same needs as in a rural community.The analyst also pointed out the accumulated problems in the Ministry of Transport and Logistics: LAM (Air Portugal), the endless debates about airplanes at the airport, public transport, INATRO (National Institute of Transport and Logistics), and the fuel issue. "Everything is linked to the transport and logistics sector. It's a cancer," she diagnosed.In their interpretation, these problems should not be analyzed in isolation, because they are part of the same transportation and logistics system.

Another point raised by the analyst is the accountability of government officials for the projects they announce.In contrast to the central government's actions: "But let's look at the central government. We've seen them travel a lot and bring back fewer results," he countered, arguing that in five years, Mozambique could be at a different level of development. "We're only seeing endless speeches." "He has to create a project knowing that his mandate is five years. So, if that project fails and nothing happens, what are we supposed to do with it? Because that's where justice should come in," he questioned, referring to those responsible for laying foundation stones that never materialize. Magaia challenged the minister to contradict him and reminded him that the government mandate is five years.The argument is simple: if a mandate lasts five years, the projects presented during that period must be accompanied by goals, resources, execution, and results. Artimiza Magaia's criticism touches on this nerve when questioning the repetition of launches without visible results. For the analyst, a project should be launched when there are concrete conditions for its execution, including funding or resources allocated to the start of the work.

The transport crisis in Maputo and Matola has long ceased to be merely a matter of urban mobility. It is a social issue. It is an economic issue. It is a labor issue. It is a matter of human dignity. It is a classic governance problem stemming from the gap between what is announced and what actually reaches the citizen. The biggest mistake would be to turn the future into an excuse for not solving the present. That is why the debate raised by Artimiza Magaia deserves to be addressed beyond a simple polemic with the minister. The answer does not seem to lie solely in buying buses or building large infrastructures. Rather, it requires an integrated policy that considers public transport, road network, financing, fleet maintenance, operational management, oversight, and service quality. While large projects await execution, passengers remain at the bus stops.