Mozambique: Delays at main border crossing with South Africa may impact trade

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Mozambique: Delays at main border crossing with South Africa may impact trade

2:44 CAT | 08 Jan 2021

Screen grab: STV

Mozambique’s minister for industry and trade on Thursday acknowledged that the difficulties of crossing the border at Ressano Garcia, the country’s main border South Africa, could have an impact on trade in Mozambique.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a public event in Maputo, Carlos Mesquita noted that South Africa was Mozambique’s main trading partner and that border restrictions could impact the sector.

“Mozambique’s biggest partner for export and import is South Africa, for obvious reasons,” he said.

The Covid-19 test and the curfew imposed in South Africa are causing “huge queues of cars and delays” in crossing the border at Ressano Garcia, with people stranded since Sunday.

South Africa has imposed a curfew because of Covid-19 that implies closing the border at 21:00 and reopening at 06:00, which the authorities also consider an obstacle at Mozambique’s busiest border crossing.

Mesquita said that the Mozambican authorities are in contact with the South African executive to overcome the problem.

“What is happening in Ressano Garcia has to do with the festive season and the need for greater control because of Covid-19. But the authorities are on the ground and are taking the necessary measures to resolve the situation,” said Carlos Mesquita.

Mozambique has 56 border crossings, of which only 33 are open, and the rest have been closed as part of the preventive measures against the new coronavirus.

According to Senami, between 14 December and 5 January this year, 133,715 people crossed at the Ressano Garcia border post.

The country has a total of 19,667 positive cases of infection with the new coronavirus, 87% of which are reported to have recovered, with 172 deaths, according to the latest update.

According to the French agency AFP, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused at least 1,884,187 deaths due to more than 87.1 million cases of infection worldwide.

South Africa, the country most affected by the pandemic on the African continent, has recorded 1,149,591 cases and 31,368 deaths since March.

Source: Lusa