Impacto sócio-económico da paralisação do Caminho de Ferro Trans-zambeziano/Linha de Sena para os CFM-Centro, 1982-2003

Abstract

The present work intends to analyse the impact of the paralisation of the Sena Line for CFM-Centro. The Trans-Zambezian railway, also known as the Sena Line, connects the Port of Beira, via Dondo, to Bíantyre (Malawi). It also has the Inhamitanga- Marromeu and the Dona Ana-Moatize section. The Sena Line began to be destabilised in early 1982. These were small-scale sabotages that caused the interruption of traffic and consequently heavy losses for CFM-Centro. From 1982 to 1984, the line suffered several traffic interruptions that caused losses for the company. In October 1984, the Sena Line was closed to traffic due to the intensification of the war and the sabotage actions carried out by Renamo guerrillas, financed by South Africa, with the aim of destabilising the Mozambican rail and port infrastructures. The interruption of the line economically affected CFM-Centro which depended on the traffic provided by Malawi which was one of the main users of the line, SSE, the Dondo Cement Factory and CARBOMOC which used this railway to transport its coal production to the Port of Beira. Despite the signing of the Nkomati Agreement in 1984, the acts of destruction and sabotage did not abate. As a result of the war, in 1986, the Dona Ana Bridge linking the Moatize mines in the centre of the country was destroyed by Renamo guerrillas.

(TRADUÇAO NOSSA)