Mozambique: Food shortage looming as trucks with essential goods stuck in South Africa – truckers | Lusa report

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Mozambique: Food shortage looming as trucks with essential goods stuck in South Africa – truckers | Lusa report

12:21 CAT | 15 Jul 2021

in file CoM

The Mozambican Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO) warned this Thursday that there are trucks with essential goods for Mozambique stuck in South Africa due to violence in the country, warning of a shortage of food.

“It is still early to get the figures, but we can guarantee that we have trucks with essential goods held up in South Africa,” said the president of FEMATRO, Castigo Nhamane, speaking to Lusa.

Vehicles carrying goods imported from South Africa cannot cross the border into Mozambique because part of the route they have to take is in areas plagued by looting and vandalism or they do not do so out of caution, Nhamane added.

He said that Mozambican cargo and passenger carriers had suspended trips to South Africa following the serious unrest in the country.

The president of the Mukhero Association [informal sector traders and importers] , Sudekar Novela, which brings together small importers from Mozambique, told Lusa that the violence in South Africa could lead to a lack of essential goods in Mozambique, as the country imports a large part of its food from the neighbouring nation.

“It is more than obvious that if the situation is not pacified in South Africa we will have a shortage of goods and a rise in prices, because we depend on food imports from our neighbour,” Novela said.

He said that the supply points where Mozambican importers buy basic goods were closed due to the wave of violence in South Africa.

“Even in areas away from the most turbulent places trade is closed due to fears of the spread of unrest and this makes it impossible to purchase goods”.

“Out of caution, we have advised our members not to travel to South Africa now, because foreigners will be the main targets of violence, due to the feeling of xenophobia that dominates some communities there”.

South Africa is the scene of a wave of violence accompanied by looting and vandalism that began with protests against the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma.

At least 72 people have died and more than 1,200 have been arrested by authorities from the Northern Cape province to Mpumalanga, neighbouring Mozambique, according to South African police.

Food and fuel supplies in parts of Johannesburg began running low late Tuesday.

Source: Lusa