File photo. A street scene at a roundabout in Pemba, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, 2020. Photo: VOA, public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

SOCIETY · MOZAMBIQUE

Authorities in Mozambique’s Gaza province say a state project to service land in Limpopo district is suspended after protests by more than 500 families. Jaime Neto, the provincial secretary of state, said activities are suspended while a solution is sought.

Gaza is a province in southern Mozambique and has no link to the Gaza Strip. The project, called Terra Infraestruturada (“serviced land”), is linked to the government’s Housing Fund Programme.

What the Families Say

Residents say machines entered their fields, opened roads and destroyed crops such as groundnuts and cassava without prior notice or payment. They say part of the land is covered by a DUAT, a state-issued land-use right.

Family spokesperson António Tovela said, in a Portuguese-language statement: “They gave us no money, nothing. So we will not give them space to work.”

The families say the dispute has run for more than a month.

Central Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, at dusk. File photo: Wisneyykarin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What the Government Says

Neto said the talks with communities were “not a deep conversation” and that the government cannot force the project on anyone. He said most residents do not accept it, while the project could bring jobs for young people, serviced plots and investment.

What Is Not Known

No written suspension order or end date has been published, and the contractor is not named. This account rests on one published report and is reported, not confirmed.

What It Means for You

For investors and lenders in Mozambique, the case shows how contested land-use rights can stall a state project at community level. The outcome of the talks will show whether the project resumes, moves or is dropped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Terra Infraestruturada project?

It is in Ngulelene, Limpopo district, Gaza province, southern Mozambique. Gaza province is unrelated to the Gaza Strip.

Has the project been cancelled?

No. A provincial official says activities are suspended while the government seeks a solution with the families.

Sources: Statements by Jaime Neto, Gaza provincial secretary of state, and António Tovela, spokesperson for the affected families, published 13 November 2026.

More on Mozambique: the US$7.2 billion Coral Norte gas plant funding and living in Mozambique as an American. See also our Mozambique coverage.

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