The Manherere ferry, a ship bought in 2015, has never been in operation since, due to some anomaly or other in one of its two engines.

Faced with this situation, the Governor of Tete province, Domingos Viola, challenged his executive to put the vessel into operation, given the impact it would have on the transportation of people and goods using the waterways of the Cahora Bassa dam.

The governor's challenge was taken up and the answer came from Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa itself, which took over the repair and general maintenance of the vessel, and which this Monday (19) handed it over to the Provincial Executive Council of Tete province for its maiden voyage.

At the time, the chairman of HCB, Boavida Muhambe, said that the repair of the ship fell within the scope of HCB's social responsibility policy, telling TVM that the repair was 100% carried out by HCB technicians at a cost of around 1.6 million meticais.

For the Governor of Tete, Domingos Viola, the ship's entry into service represents a boost for the region's economy and tourism.

The vessel was initially intended to travel between Caliote in the Cahora Bassa district and Zumbo, with stops in Chipera, in the Magoe area.

The Manherere, named after a village in the Cahora Bassa district, has a capacity of 94 passengers plus cargo. (ClubofMozambique)