The Traditional Healers' Association of Mozambique (AMETRAMO) today pointed to supernatural causes as the reason for the frequent occurrence of road accidents in the same area of the National Road 1 (EN1), in Manhiça district, Maputo, south of the country.

"Since the accidents are not stopping, the government will have to sit down with us and authorize us to do the [traditional] work," said Fernando Mate, president of AMETRAMO, in an allusion to rituals that are the pillar of beliefs of many Mozambicans.

According to him, the authorities have already held a traditional ceremony with local doctors to curb the number of accidents, but the group "has not been able to solve the problem," which the official considers "supernatural.

The official was speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of the African Traditional Medicine Day, in Maputo.

In the last year, the EN1 has been the scene of serious traffic accidents, mainly on the stretch that crosses the Manhiça district (in the south of the country), with dozens of deaths, almost always involving public transportation.

In July 2021, the district recorded the most serious accident ever on Mozambique's roads, with 32 people killed and 28 injured.

The traditional doctors, as the healers are known in Mozambique, have been one of society's resources as an alternative to conventional medicine, and cooperate with the Ministry of Health.

In the country, some groups believe that traditional doctors can cure diseases for which health professionals say there is no cure, and even solve other problems.

But instead of supernatural causes, the Mozambican authorities have pointed to speeding and drunk driving as the main causes of accidents.

The rates of road accidents in Mozambique are classified as dramatic by several organizations.

On average, at least a thousand people die annually on the roads, according to data provided to Lusa by the Mozambican Association for Victims of Road Safety (Amviro).