The Mozambican non-governmental organization (NGO), Centro para Democracia e Desenvolvimento (CDD), launched a "Petition of Motion of Censure against the Government of Mozambique"The tolls already announced will start to be collected on February 1st, 2022.

CDD's intention is to get the Mozambican state to back down from the decision to charge toll fees at the Costa do Sol, Zintava, Cumbeza and Matola Gare toll gates.

According to the document that MZNews had access to today, the existence of these tolls "violates freedom of movement and social justice, to feed a small elite that has drawn up a project to plunder the poor."

According to the Director of CDD, Adriano Nuvunga, the institution has already sent an "injunction requesting the suspension of the order that sets the fees on the Circular Road" to the Administrative Court, on Wednesday (19).

This joint order appears in the Bulletin of the Republic, Series 1 - Number 10, of Friday, January 14, 2022, and was issued by the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, João Machatine, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane.

The CDD official believes that the installation of tolls is unfair and a problem for the entire country.

"Accept the idea that together we can fight for Mozambique. Let us, from Rovuma to Maputo, from Zumbo to the Indian Ocean, sign the petition," appealed Adriano Nuvunga.

The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Center for Public Integrity (CIP) have been the two Mozambican NGOs with the greatest social intervention to make the government back down from the decision to charge tolls.

One of the major arguments that the two institutions raise is the lack of alternative routes for those who cannot pay the tolls to continue reaching their desired destinations. In the perception of NGOs, the Mozambican State is forcing citizens to pay the fees. And, another argument is the possible unconstitutionality in the concession of the Maputo ring road to a private company - in which any Mozambican can be a shareholder - Rede Viária de Moçambique, SA (REVIMO), without the due public tender, that is, by direct adjustment without grounds, as required by law. On the other hand, because the concession to REVIMO occurred without the company having sufficient years and work experience in road aerial work to justify the concession. REVIMO was awarded the Maputo ring road concession after only 18 months of existence, according to CIP.

Adriano Nuvunga reinforced the appeal to the purpose of petition whose goal is to collect one million signatures. According to a CDD source, by the time this article was published, more than 7,000 signatures had been submitted online, while in-person signature numbers were advancing.

"We are all going to sign, and en masse, so that next week we can deposit the petition to Parliament, also en masse," Nuvunga stressed.