Operations running smoothly at Lebombo Border Post – BMA

Lebombo

Cape Town — The Lebombo border post has been operating smoothly for normal travellers but trucks have remained under threat due to protests on the Mozambican side.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) said the truck drivers carrying minerals are under threat and the BMA Commissioner, Michael Masiapato, said the officials at the Ressano Garcia port of entry said there was no threat to the port itself, TimesLIVE reported.

“In the past 24 hours, we have been able to process about 10 000 people. Around 8 000 were exiting SA into Mozambique and about 2 000 were returning to SA. The process continued overnight and we didn’t get any indication there is a threat to the port operation,” Masiapato said.

Protests in Mozambique turned violent as Frelimo’s office was set on fire and the all to Maputo’s airport was damaged to block the road. Masiapato said while they continue to process those who want to enter Mozambique, trucks were at the most risk due to the protests.

“Most of the cargo has started leaving the corridor because the threat to cargo is more serious. Overnight, we processed about 100 trucks that moved in. Most were general cargo trucks and not those with minerals.

“The way the protesters are managing the activity in terms of the corridor, it is clear the biggest threat is cargo, particularly mineral cargo. We had to stop the movement of cargo primarily because the corridor towards Maputo harbour is very unstable,” Masiapato said.

According to EWN, Masiapato said people have not yet been threatened so far.

“There is not much of a threat to people. The way in which these protestors are actually managing their activity, in terms of this corridor, it is very much clear that the biggest threat or the target is to cargo, particularly mineral cargo as it were. But in terms of normal people – meaning Mozambicans going back to Mozambique – there hasn’t been any threat. They are still able to manoeuvre through the environment,” he explained.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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