SA and Mozambique in pact to ‘mitigate disruption’ at ports of entry after trade plummets

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and Mozambican Minister of Interior Pascoal Ronda have agreed on the need for South Africa and Mozambique to work together to “mitigate the disruption” at the Lebombo and Ressano Garcia ports of entry.

At a high-powered meeting in Malelane, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday morning, Lamola and Ronda said they had agreed on measures to mitigate the disruptions, which have had a “significant negative impact on the economies of both countries and the free movement of people and goods” between the neighbouring nations.

The bilateral meeting between Mozambican and South African government authorities on Wednesday comes as South Africa continues to feel the impact of the electoral protests and government crackdown in Mozambique following its disputed elections in October.

In November, South Africa temporarily closed the Lebombo port of entry, its main border crossing with Mozambique, over security concerns after protests escalated. The protests were part of the so-called fourth stage of demonstrations called by the opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who came second in the 9 October presidential elections, but claims to have won.

The ruling Frelimo party, in power since Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975, responded to the demonstrations with violence and a throttling of internet access.

Read more: ‘Maputo is like a warzone’ — Activists lament global inaction as protest and state suppression deepen in Mozambique

Mozambique’s Constitutional Council is expected to rule on the validity of the electoral count on Monday, 23 December, an outcome some human rights organisations, logistics companies and other countries fear may trigger a fresh wave of violence and economic losses if Frelimo’s victory is upheld.

“Many companies have suffered losses as a result of the disruption in trade,” said Ronda, who was leading the Mozambican delegation. “Should the situation persist there is great danger of food and energy insecurity.”

Minister Lamola in discussions with Minister of Interior for Mozambique Mr Pascoal Ronda who is leading the Mozambican High-level delegation at the South Africa Mozambique Interministerial meeting. pic.twitter.com/ru0MFUsF2s

— Chrispin Phiri ?? (@Chrispin_JPhiri) December 18, 2024

Ronda vowed that the Maputo Corridor would remain open, saying his government was doing “everything” to ensure the trade route would not be disrupted again.

“As far as the Maputo Corridor is concerned, both governments have committed themselves to [engaging and] working hand-in-hand to ensure that these disruptions that took place … will not take place again,” he said.

“There will be no disruptions in the coming days.”

Lamola and Ronda agreed “that both countries will endeavour to protect and secure the infrastructure for trade facilitation and continued collaboration to ensure minimum disruption for regional integration, including associated cross-border value chains,” according to a joint statement released after the meeting.

In addition to Lamola, the South African government delegation included Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga. Authorities from the South African Revenue Service and the Border Management Authority were also present.

On Wednesday, Lamola acknowledged that the crisis in Mozambique was putting South Africa’s national security at risk.

“In terms of energy security, this corridor is very important for South Africa … for petroleum products and for gas through the pipeline,” said Lamola.

He said SA was looking into measures to mitigate the risk to energy security.

Read more: South Africa must assert leadership in Mozambique crisis

Last week, Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly called on South African authorities to help Mozambique resolve the crisis, warning that disrupted operations at the ports of entry were costing South Africa millions. He said the RFA estimated that the full closure or suspension of operations at the Port of Maputo and the suspension of road freight logistics within Mozambique was costing the South African economy about R10-million a day.

Concerns over fresh protests

Smoke rises as demonstrators carry tyres to place in a barricade during a post-election protest in a Maputo street earlier this month. (Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo / EPA-EFE)

According to human rights organisation Amnesty International, Mozambican security forces have shot at least 329 people and killed at least 110 in the demonstrations that have erupted since the polls.

“Enough is enough. For more than 50 days, Mozambique’s Frelimo-led government has refused to end its bloody crackdown on protesters. Regardless of who won the election or their political views, everyone in Mozambique has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” said Amnesty International’s deputy director for east and southern Africa, Khanyo Farise, in a statement last week.

Farise called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to condemn the state violence and take action against it. “Yet, both organisations remain all but silent on the government of Mozambique’s ruthless assault on protesters,” she said.

In the face of calls to intervene in the post-election unrest, Pretoria said it would be largely guided by the SADC and AU election observer missions  — which reported that the elections were essentially legitimate, Daily Maverick’s Peter Fabricius reported.

Read more: SADC summit commends Mozambique for ‘holding peaceful elections’

In response to questions from reporters on Wednesday, Lamola said the two countries had discussed the political situation in Mozambique and South Africa would wait for the Constitutional Council’s ruling to see “if there will be any announcement to be made”.

He added that Pretoria continued to call for “calm and restraint” in Mozambique to allow the due process of rubber-stamping the elections.

On Monday, Mondlane announced a week of mourning and called for a new wave of protests to begin on Monday, 23 December.

Ronda said the Mozambican government was still “engaged in finding solutions” to “problems” surrounding the election and was taking action against Mondlane. DM