The authorities have warned South African motorists to delay their travels to Mozambique if possible as tensions in the country remain high.
This comes after deadly protests erupted in the country as its national elections concluded.
In October, the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) party was once again declared the victor during Mozambique’s national elections, extending its rule that started in 1975.
Unhappy citizens subsequently claimed that the voting process was rigged, something the Frelimo party has been accused of several times in the past.
Independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, who was second in the official results, urged Mozambican residents to stay at home in the days following the election in protest of the alleged tampering, VOA News reported.
On 18 October, two officials closely linked to Mondlane were gunned down in their vehicle by unknown assailants.
The day after, Mondlane, unhappy citizens, and the media visited the scene of the crime to stage a public protest against the elections, but were met by police who fired tear gas canisters at the cabal, forcing them to flee.
Since then, Mozambique has erupted in public protest with many scenes becoming violent and even deadly. Mondlane himself has also gone into hiding for fear of his life, using social media to call for more protests in an effort to destabilise the Frelimo party.
Proceed with caution
Mike Masiapato, Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner, urged motorists to think twice before driving to our northeasterly neighbour, especially if they are travelling for leisure.
The BMA reopened the Lebombo border post between South Africa and Mozambique on Friday, 8 November, attempting to clear the backlog of motorists and cargo standing in line to cross.
“I was just talking to the port management committee members and they just confirmed that we are doing very well, we are also starting to clear the backlog in terms of cargo that has been there, and in terms of people movement, everything is fairly up to date,” Masiapato told SABC News.
“The only thing that we keep emphasizing is that because of the kind of volatility of the situation, we still don’t encourage South Africans who are intending to go to Mozambique just for leisure to go that side, and that is primarily because the environment is very much unpredictable.”
The Road Freight Association also warned that motorists are at risk of being targeted by hijackers and thieves when waiting in long queues to get to the border, which at one point stretched to 25km.
The entity’s truck drivers have been attacked by knife-wielding criminals who are after the goods inside the vehicles, and it’s not uncommon to see shards of glass and damaged cars on the road close to the Lebombo border due to motorists being sitting ducks for opportunistic thieves.
Headline image: EWN
Join the discussion