Attractions we’re missing

Apropos Paul Ash’s sad story of the decline of Mozambique on page three of Travel Weekly (“Why I don’t go to Mozambique”, April 6) and the story on the Eiffel Tower, I have been told that the original railway station in LM (sorry, Maputo) was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel to the order of the Portuguese government. There is also a house in LM (or was) made of iron called Casa da Ferro, also by Eiffel. — Len

Holgate

I have also travelled in Mozambique many times, the first time 50 years ago to San Martino (now Bilene).

In 2003, my wife and I travelled down the coast from Tanzania and when we reached Vilanculos, we fell in love with a resort right on the beach, 7km south of the town.

We bought time-share there — R70 000 for two weeks in July — and have been there every year since, but have had such bad experiences with the traffic police, usually around the Maputo area, that I have abandoned my timeshare and will never go to Mozambique again.

Last year I was fined R1 400 (cash) for “speeding in an urban area” where there was not a sign of any habitation for miles around. The year before, in Maputo, at 6.10am on a Saturday, three cops stopped us (my wife, my brother-in--law and me) and I had to pay them R500 each to avoid being arrested and put in jail over the weekend, only for them to drop the charges on the Monday. I had broken no law and my vehicle was in perfect roadworthy condition.

On my return to Cape Town, I reported this all to the Consulate and gave them the serial number of the police van. They wrote me a nice letter, thanking me for helping to stamp out corruption, but did nothing.

The people of Mozambique are friendly, polite and helpful but the officials are something else.

There is fantastic potential for tourism there, particularly along the northern coast, but it will never happen. — Ted

Jordan