Yesterday, the Council of Ministers authorized the construction of a new port terminal in the south of the country that will transport heavy sands from Chibuto, in Gaza, operated by the Chinese company Ding Sheng.

According to a note from the Council of Ministers, "the direct award to a company between the Chinese firm Desheng Port and Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) to build and operate the port terminal to be located in the district of Chongoene, in the province of Gaza, was authorized".

Thus, the Mozambican government takes on the role of "port concession holder" in the process.

The construction of the port of Chonguene was announced in August 2022, financed by the Chinese company Ding Sheng Minerals, which has been exploiting the heavy sands of Chibuto, a neighboring district, since 2018.

The Ding Sheng mining company has a 25-year term and, during this period, the company expects to extract one million tons of ilmenite (titanium and iron oxide) a year, as well as heavy sands.