WeeklySA_AdminOUTRAGE: Scores of artists gathered in the Mozambican capital of Maputo today to demand immediate end to the violence engulfing their country, calling for dialogue
SA TRUCKS SNAKE THROUGH BORDER POST INTO TENSE MAPUTO
TENSIONS: Mozambique government prepares ‘protection belts’ along freight corridors to ensure safe passage of cargo trucks entering the country…
By WSAM Reporters and Mozambican news agencies
Cargo truck movement resumed today at the Lebombo border post with Mozambique after being suspended for several days due to post-election protests in Mozambique.
The post was opened to travellers yesterday until further notice, the Border Management Authority (BMA) announced, adding that pedestrians and small vehicles were being processed minimally, with statistics reflecting that 7 471 travellers had been processed on December 11.
This follows South Africa’s suspension of operations at the border crossing with Mozambique, a critical hub for coal and chrome exports, due to escalating protests since earlier this week.
Mozambique’s government has announced that its intentions to create “protection belts” along the freight corridors, including Maputo, Transport Minister Mateus Magala said yesterday, adding that it was studying “appropriate solutions” with South Africa to see how to ensure security in the face of the post-election demonstrations
The Road Freight Association was quoted to estimate the stoppage costing South Africa approximately R10 million ($562,822) daily.
On other hand, Mozambican transport operators reported losses of R107 million (about six million US dollars) during the current post-election unrest in Mozambique, according to the Mozambican Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO), cited by the independent television station STV.hile,
Demonstrators in Mozambique, enraged by the results of the country’s October elections which returned the long-ruling Frelimo Party to power, have blocked the vital route, which typically handles over 1 000 trucks daily bound for the Maputo port.
“The sector was already facing a shortage of cargo and of passengers”, said FEMATRO spokesperson, Jorge Manhica. “On inter-provincial routes, we have the degradation of the main north-south highway (EN1) which is almost destroying vehicles every day”.
The protests have had severe effects on Mozambican tourism hit by cancellations of more than 13 000 tourism bookings in the country’s Gaza province.
Meanwhile, South African truck drivers have been advised to be cautious when travelling in Mozambique. They are also advised to ensure that they have enough water, fuel and food.
In an update this afternoon, the BMA said there was progress in the processing of people and cargo at the Lebombo port of entry into Mozambique.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communications at the Border Management Authority Mmemme Mogotsi said: “There is a bit of improvement on the Lebombo port of entry – but we just want to emphasise the message that the port of entry is not closed, it has never been closed since the unrest started.
It’s just that we are suspending operations, being guided by the Mozambican government as, and when unrest happens- and then they are guiding us to say ok, please as there is opportunity as well, the operations resume.”
Mozambique’s Magala added: “Some actions are underway to protect the corridors, we are trying to create protection belts along the Maputo corridor, from the Ressano Garcia border [the largest land border] to the port of Maputo, to ensure that goods continue to flow from South Africa to international markets and to other countries”.
At issue are the demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, which quickly led to clashes between demonstrators and the police, with protesters setting up barricades and prevented the transport of people and goods, especially in Maputo.
Magala acknowledged the urgency of creating security in the development corridors, focusing on Maputo, which protesters have targeted. Protesters have vandalised infrastructure at the Ressano Garcia border facilities, which have even been temporarily closed.
“At the moment, we are talking to the South African authorities to take joint action and see what we can do to assess the situation,” he said, noting that meetings are scheduled between the two governments to find solutions for protecting the Maputo corridor.
“We are developing concrete measures, and we are confident this will be possible. If the corridor doesn’t function, we will all be affected by a lack of food, clothing, opportunities, mobility and jobs, which won’t be good for anyone,” he promised.
Magala condemned the vandalisation of public and private infrastructure, saying that blocking access routes violates Mozambicans’ fundamental rights.
Protests against the election results have brought chaos to the streets in various parts of the country, with at least 110 people killed and more than 300 injured as a result of clashes between police and demonstrators since 21 October, according to an updated report by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide.
The National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced the results of the 9 October elections, which gave Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), victory with 70.67% of the votes. The results placed Mondlane in second place, with 20.32%. However, the results still need to be validated by the Constitutional Council, the last instance of appeal in electoral disputes.
In one of his last direct messages on Facebook, opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane – believed to be in hiding somewhere in Sweded in fear of his life – promised to be in Maputo on January 15, the date scheduled for the inauguration of the new head of state to take office as President of Mozambique.
Other developments linked to the crisis, include:
• A young man shot while filming live footage of police operations against protesters at the Ressano Garcia border has died in hospital, the non-governmental organization that is following the case told local news outfit Lusa today.
• Zambia and Malawi have suspended the import of fuel via the central Mozambican port of Beira because of the demonstrations. Malawi imports 50 per cent of its fuel via Beira, 20 per cent via Nacala and 30 per cent via Dar es Salaam.
• Eswatini’s sugar industry has faced disruptions to supply chains and exports and has had to find alternative routes for its products. Eswatini’s sugar industry depends heavily on a terminal at the port of Maputo, Mozambique, to send its raw sugar to the European Union and the United States.
• A call by the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), which brings together the private sector, to the country’s government for security guarantees for multinationals, including military escorts in the country’s main corridors, the president of the body said on 10 December.
• Angola president João Lourenço urged President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria yesterday to find a regional solution to the “worrying” crisis of instability affecting Mozambique.
• The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) yesterday criticised the method of comparing general election notices used by the Constitutional Council to validate the results, pointing to a possible recount or annulment of the vote as solutions for “harmonising society”.
Meanwhile, a few dozen artists from different fields gathered today in the Mozambican capital to shout “enough” to the violence in Mozambique, calling for dialogue, when the country is going through the worst post-election crisis since the first elections, in 1994.
“We want to convey a message of reconciliation and peace, but we also want to repudiate this issue of human rights violations”, Mozambican musician Stewart Sukuma told Lusa on the sidelines of the event held in Maputo. – Lusa/Aim/Club of Mozambique
