The Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), Beatriz Buchili, warned on Wednesday of disorderly construction in unsuitable areas in Maputo, the country's capital, with serious consequences for the environment.

The magistrate's warning was given in her speech at the swearing-in of magistrates.

"We continue to see in our city of Maputo situations of disorderly construction in unsuitable areas, such as dunes and mangroves, with disregard for the law, especially the environmental impact standards and the urbanization plan," said Beatriz Buchili, addressing the new Chief Prosecutor of Maputo City, Natércia Dias, who took office yesterday.

According to Beatriz Buchilli, quoted by Lusa, construction in unsuitable areas, which is taking place all over Maputo's coastal zone where homes are being built in the mangrove area, puts the environment and citizens at risk, as well as "compromising the future of future generations".

Mozambique loses at least 88 hectares of mangroves every year, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, which pointed to urban sprawl, the construction of salt pans, logging and unsustainable use of trees as the causes.

For her part, the magistrate who was sworn in, Natércia Dias, guaranteed that the Public Prosecutor's Office will step up its actions to respond to the problem of disorderly construction in Maputo, noting that environmental protection is one of the agency's priority areas.

"This is one of the areas of intervention of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which is the defense of collective and diffuse rights, and it will certainly be one of the priority areas in our intervention," said the new Chief Prosecutor of Maputo City.