The Mozambican Minister of the Interior has suspended traffic police officers who were on duty during a bus crash that killed 23 people on Monday in Manhiça, Maputo province.

Minister Paulo Chachine said the officers failed to enforce regulations banning interprovincial passenger vehicles from operating before 05:00. The bus overturned at 04:45 on the EN1 highway, with speeding cited as the likely cause.

The same day saw two further accidents: one in Manhiça that left one person dead, and another in Chongoene, Gaza province, where a minibus collided with a truck, killing 11 people. In total, 35 people died and 13 were injured.

Authorities say poor enforcement, reckless driving and unsafe vehicles remain major factors in Mozambique’s road safety crisis. A new Road Safety Action Plan, including stricter inspections and awareness campaigns, has been launched, alongside “Operation Brake”, starting on 22 August, to tackle speeding and drunk driving.

Chachine stressed that suspending the officers was only the first step: “Lives are being lost because of failures in enforcement and compliance. Those responsible must face the consequences.”