Mpumalanga MEC for safety and security, Jacky Macia and Dr Michael Masiapato of the Border Management Authority at the Lebombo border between South Africa and Mozambique, November 8, 2024.Image: ANTÓNIO MUCHAVE

Lebombo border remains closed as authorities wait to meet Mozambique govt officials

Soldiers, police, guards deployed to border after protesters loot trucks

by · SowetanLIVE

The Lebombo border to Mozambique remains closed as the Border Management Authority (BMA) awaits talks with the country’s leadership to determine if it's safe to open the border on Friday.

Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison Jacky Macie and BMA commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato are waiting for the national officials of Mozambique, who are said to be driving from Maputo, to give an update.

This comes after a meeting with the Resano Garcia border officials of Mozambique who indicated they couldn’t give guarantees unless the national officials come and do so. On Thursday, the border had to be closed again after partially opening on Wednesday afternoon.

This came after the post elections protesters started looting trucks carrying perishables, and also vandalising border processing machines in the KM4 work station of the Mozambican side. “For now the status quo remains the same, we cannot open the border until we are sure that the people and goods we process here are going to be safe that side of Mozambique,” said Masiapato.

“When we met with the Mozambican border officials, they could not make an assurity but awaits the national leadership of their law enforcement to meet us. You will remember, from what we experienced yesterday [Thursday], where we had trucks looted and had to house their officials who were attacked at KM4, we cannot take chances. So, we hope their national leadership arrives to give us an overview of safety that side.”

The BMA had to bring in soldiers, public order police and border guards on Thursday after protesters started looting and vandalising property, and posed a threat of coming to the border. Macie said poor network connection on the Mozambique side, made it hard to communicate in the morning. However, they were happy the Mozambican officials would come to give them an update.

“The situation has a bad impact economically on both sides and we hope it ends. We are happy that we managed to protect our infrastructure as we had deployed all our law enforcement agencies,” said Macie.

SowetanLIVE

I just want to see my children, says Mozambican mom as the unrest intensifiesThe partial opening of the Lebombo border on Wednesday saw scores of desperate Mozambicans from SA crossing into their home country to be with their families as the unrest intensifies.Mandla Khoza, 07 Nov 2024'They looted my truck full of food in 10 minutes'South African truck driver Emanuel Manyange was waiting at the Mozambican border post to clear his cargo when suddenly, a mob attacked him and looted his vehicle full of food in less than 10 minutes.Mandla Khoza, 07 Nov 2024Border officials from Moz flee to SA for safety as violence escalatesThe Border Management Authority (BMA) 15 officials from Mozambique have fled to SA due to safety concerns.Mandla Khoza, 07 Nov 2024Businesses suffer losses from closure of Lebombo borderThe closure of the Lebombo border – a major economic trade route between SA and Mozambique – is starting to hit local businesses, with some having to let go of their employees temporarily.Mandla Khoza and Nandi Ntini, 07 Nov 2024