Mozambican drivers avoid South Africa following attacks – Lusa

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Mozambican drivers avoid South Africa following attacks – Lusa

3:36 CAT | 01 Feb 2023

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Notícias]

Mamad Bachir’s children have been afraid to get into a car since the one they were traveling in was set alight in an attack in South Africa, a trauma that has led Mozambican passenger transport carriers to consider changing routes to avoid the “risk area”.

“Our concern is not material goods, but the trauma that the children have suffered. My wife and I are going to get over it, we are adults, but the children have been afraid to get into the car ever since the incident,” Mamad Bachir told Lusa.

Bachir, his wife and three children, aged between 6 and 12, were forced to get out of their car on Saturday, and watched it being torched by attackers in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, just 92 kilometres from the border with Mozambique.

“They poured gasoline in the car and set it alight,” the Mozambican said, recounting “a very painful tragedy”, in which they lost everything they had and were left “with only the clothes on their backs”.

According to the victim, the group of about 12 armed robbers burned four vehicles, two of which belonged to his cousin and his neighbour, a lady, who were also heading to Mozambique with their families, including children.

The robbers “did not demand money or goods”, limiting themselves to saying that it was a “problem with the South African government”, Bachir said.

“We handed over phones, money and everything we could to get them to let us go, but they wouldn’t budge,” he added.

Mozambican transporters also report “fear” and “great shock” and are currently pondering using the Eswatini border to reach Durban, avoiding “the risk area”.

“We are afraid to use that route. I am in talks with colleagues to see if we can change the route, instead of using Via Ponta do Ouro, we will use Via Suazilândia [Eswatini],” transport association president Frederico Lopes told Lusa.

According to Frederico, the route through Eswatini was used in the past, but was abandoned in favour of new roads opened in the meantime.

However, “judging by the risk situation on the Ponta do Ouro route”, the old route could be used again, after presentation to the Mozambican Ministry of Transport.

“They say that the situation is under control one day, and the next day criminals appear and set vehicles on fire,” Lopes concluded.

Suffering a lack of passengers, the association has asked the Mozambican government to speak to the South African authorities about the matter and take measures to stop the attacks.

National South African Police (SAPS) Commissioner Fannie Masemola visited the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal province, near the border with Mozambique, on Tuesday, to assess the police response to cross-border crime, the force announced.

“The commissioner’s visit follows the recent incident in which at least six vehicles, including a tourist bus and a lorry, were burned on the R22 road between Mbazwana,” reads the SAPS statement.

The Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo, described the situation as “complicated” on Monday, while pledging that efforts by the governments of the two countries to end the insecurity were underway.

Source: Lusa