Almost one million people set to cross SA-Moz border over festive season

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Almost one million people set to cross SA-Moz border over festive season

10:47 CAT | 22 Dec 2016

Voa / Many Mozambicans shop in South Africa.

Around 540,000 Mozambicans and foreign tourists are likely to cross the Ressano Garcia-Lebombo border between South Africa and Mozambique this week to spend the festive season in Mozambique.

According to the Mozambican migration services, these figures represent 60 per cent of the approximately 900,000 people expected to cross Mozambican borders over the festive season, a relatively lower number than what was recorded during the same period last year.

South Africa hosts the largest expatriate Mozambican community. About 30,000 Mozambicans work in the mines and another 19,000 in agriculture. Thousands more are following diverse other occupations. At this time of year, many return home to spend the holidays with their families before returning to South Africa to work.

Their temporary return will help ease the current economic and financial crisis that has hit the country since the beginning of the year, following the discovery of hidden debts contracted by the previous government.

The crisis showed signs of abating, with the stabilization to a degree of the national currency in relation to the South African rand, but many Mozambicans still cross the border to buy consumer goods in South Africa because prices here are so high.

Recent pronouncements by the mayor of the city of Johannesburg about migrants, especially Africans, do not worry Mozambicans, the third largest community of foreigners in South Africa after Zimbabweans and Basuthos.

And after the festivities, the visitors will return to their jobs, seeking better living conditions in South Africa.

Source: Voa Portugues