Zimpapers Logo

“Unfortunately, we have to close the Lebombo port of entry. They have damaged Kilometre Four (a truck-processing facility in Mozambique). They are a few minutes away from the border.”

Masiapato added that Mozambican protesters were also headed to the Ressano Garcia border.

Mozambicans have looted Kilometre Four offices and trucks that were stranded there. The situation is very bad. The Mozambican protesters are on the way [towards South Africa]. Mozambican officials are here in South Africa.

“We have no option but to close our border. We can’t continue to process people on our side,” Masiapato said.

Protests not likely to spill into SA

Masiapato added that the protests were not likely to spill into SA.

“We have proactive security measures. We have [SANDF] soldiers, SAPS, and Border Management Authority security to prevent the spillover from happening to South Africa. We don’t think they will come here [to SA]. We have been told [the protesters] are coming [to the border] to mobilise buses to Maputo.

“We were informed that protesters in Maputo want the recount of the votes. We expect them to travel to Maputo,” said Masiapato.

He added that the situation remained seriously volatile in Ressano Garcia. Mozambique had deployed soldiers and the police to that border gate.

“We don’t know what the outcome of their protest would be once protesters reach the point where Mozambique soldiers are,” said Masiapato.

He continued that petroleum and perishable trucks were not among those queuing for 15 kilometres from Komatipoort to the Lebombo border in South Africa.

“We have advised the freight industry to use other ports to enter Mozambique. We only have trucks carrying minerals. Some trucks were heading to the Maputo port, where a ship docked to load the minerals they were carrying from South Africa.

“We also want to advise the freight industry to exit our corridor because things don’t look good in Mozambique. If the election results confirm that the opposition party in Mozambique didn’t win, protests would be intensified,” Masiapato said