Mozambican authorities estimate that restoring the vandalized electrical system of the Massingir Dam, in Gaza province, will cost around $92,000, after the damage disrupted the normal operation of one of southern Mozambique’s main water infrastructure facilities.
According to Ivan Cuna, director of the Limpopo Basin Management Division at the Southern Regional Water Administration (ARA-Sul), the acts of vandalism affected essential components of the electrical system, including underground copper cables, transformers and equipment linked to the dam’s main flood discharge system.
The official explained that the damage forced authorities to adopt temporary alternative solutions to ensure minimum operational capacity at the facility.
“They vandalized the entire system, including all the cables — known as VAV copper cables — and also damaged our secondary transformer, which powers the main flood discharge structure,” he said.
According to Ivan Cuna, the extent of the damage requires specialized intervention to fully restore the system and reestablish normal operations.
“We estimate around six million meticais for the work. A specialized company is needed to carry out the restoration properly,” he stated.
With an installed capacity of 25 megawatts, the Massingir Dam, located on the Elephants River, plays a strategic role in water supply, irrigation support and flood control in southern Mozambique.
Massingir district administrator Sérgio Costa expressed concern over the growing number of vandalism incidents and unauthorized access to restricted areas of the facility, calling for an urgent strengthening of security measures.
“Massingir Dam cannot be a place where anyone simply goes for leisure or to fish in the dam basin,” he said.
He also recalled that a 16-year-old recently lost his life after falling in a restricted area while fishing.
According to Sérgio Costa, the most frequent incidents involve the theft of copper electrical cables for illegal resale, a situation that has so far resulted in no arrests.
“That infrastructure needs security mechanisms that match the scale and importance of the dam,” he said, advocating for stronger protection measures for what is considered strategic national infrastructure.
The episode once again highlights the challenges associated with protecting public assets and the economic costs generated by vandalism targeting critical water management infrastructure.
Source: Diário Económico
