WeeklySA_AdminTENSIONS: At least 30 people have been killed since the start of unrest in three weeks, according to a human rights organisation…
By WSAM Reporters and Bongani Hlatshwayo
As relative calm returned today to Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, after violence racked the country over disputed presidential election results, Human Rights Watch reported that at least 30 people had been killed in close to three weeks of police and army crackdowns on protests.
“At least 30 people were killed between October 19 and November 6 inclusive across the country,” the New York-based rights organisation told the AFP news agency.
The toll did not include violence yesterday when police and soldiers dispersed thousands of demonstrators in Maputo, and South Africa immediately closed Lebombo Border Port after officials from Mozambique took refuge in South Africa.
Earlier today South Africa partially re-opened the Lebombo Border Port between it and Maputo so that Mozambicans could return home. The violence in Mozambique caused a kilometres of traffic back-up from the border post to Komatipoort, and on the other side in Maputo. Border Management Authority (BMA) head Michael Masiapato said the post was temporarily reopened on Friday, after consulting with his colleagues from Mozambique, to allow Mozambicans to travel home.
Violence engulfed Mozambique after the national election results about two weeks ago and resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people and the injury of 66 others during clashes between police and protesters. Mozambique’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights has reported 34 deaths overall.
The violent demonstrations were sparked after the announcement by the National Electoral Commission of Mozambique on October 24 that the elections had been won by Daniel Chapo of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), a party that has been in power since 1975.
Leaders of the third largest opposition party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), rejected the results, claiming that they did not reflect the popular will of the people who cast their votes. All hell broke loose.
President of MDM, Lutero Simango, who was one of four candidates in last month’s Presidential elections, immediately demanded a recount of all votes or a repeat of the national elections to restore what he termed ‘’ electoral justice.’’
Mozambique’s fugitive leader, Venancio Mondlane, an independent presidential candidate, also dismissed the results claiming – without providing any evidence though – that he had actually won the elections.
He threatened that street demonstrations would continue until the authorities accepted ‘’ the truth about the elections.’’ The party supporting him has since filed an appeal with the Constitutional Council challenging the results.
The capital city was turned into a running battle between protesters and police for almost two weeks with police also firing teargas at violent mobs who torched vehicles, vandalised and looted businesses including several South-African-owned chain stores. This led to businesses closing shop.
The violent protests also forced the closure of the borders between South Africa and Mozambique including the port of entry into the Lebombo border post and Ressano Garcia for almost a week. These borders were temporarily opened on Friday.
The violence has affected ordinary travel between the two countries and tourism has been adversely affected. Trade between South Africa and Mozambique has also been drastically affected with a large number of trucks ferrying goods blockaded on both sides of the borders for almost two weeks, according to the Border Management Authority (BMA).
This is despite the existence of the popular Triland Tour concept to promote and market tourism routes and products between the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), Mozambique’s INATUR and Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) which started in 2022 and officially launched at the annual Tourism Indaba in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in May 2022.
Earlier in the week, Masiapato, had said in a statement that they had received reports of vehicles being torched on the Mozambican side of the Lebombo port of entry. Due to these security incidents and in the interest of public safety, the port was temporarily closed until further notice.
“This decision was made to ensure the safety of all cross-border transporters, travellers, traders and officials operating at the port. The BMA is coordinating closely with Mozambican authorities and South African law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation and work towards reopening the port as soon as it is safe to do so.
“We advise all stakeholders to suspend travel through the Lebombo port until further notice. Alternative routes to Mozambique must be used where feasible at the moment until the situation has stabilised”, Masiapato said.
South African officials were on the ground providing assistance with seven officials from the Mozambican side having requested refuge on the South African side for safety and protection. The BMA and its counterparts were working round the clock to address the situation and appreciated the cooperation they were receiving at the moment.
The BMA and South African Revenue Services officials would continue to provide updates through official channels and notify stakeholders as soon as the borders were deemed safe to reopen.
The Mpumalanga Parks and Tourism Agency (MTPA) Marketing Manager, Kholofelo Nkambule, has allayed the fears of traveller whilst they closely monitored the situation on both ends.
“The situation in Mozambique is worrisome as you know that they are our key partner in tourism and trade. It will affect tourism a lot because a number of tourists travel from both ends. At this stage, we will continue to monitor the situation and see what the outcome will be. We do not have the figures of our tourists being trapped in Mozambique, but through our partners, INATUR, we will be able to interact with them, if there are any.– Additional reporting by AIM, Mpumalanga Mirror and Al Jazeera
