It's been three months since the first stone was laid for the construction of the Ponte Cais on Kanyaka Island in Maputo city. What the public has not been made aware of is the lack, to date, of an environmental license on the feasibility of implementing the project.

It was the then President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, who led the ceremonies for the start of construction on November 1, 2024. In his speech, he pointed out the future advantages from an economic and academic point of view.

In fact, from then on, the works of what is supposed to be the longest pier bridge in the world have not yet begun. Calculations indicated that it would be ready this year. But the work should only go ahead once the project proponent has obtained the environmental licensewith the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, says the News.

In this sense, a company hired by the Maputo city council is carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment to apply for a license for the project. The work should be completed by April. This means that the plan will be delayed by at least five months. Will the promise to deliver the works this year be kept?

A preliminary study on the same project indicates positive and negative impacts, such as the generation of dust and the destruction of biodiversity, which can be mitigated, says the newspaper.