Mozambique: Milange tries to stop Malawians crossing border

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Mozambique: Milange tries to stop Malawians crossing border

9:39 CAT | 07 May 2020

Photo: O País

The Mozambican authorities in the municipality of Milange, on the border with Malawi, are trying to prevent individuals from crossing the border, in compliance with the state of emergency, imposed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

The head of the Milange immigration services, Albano de Carvalho, cited by the independent television station STV, said that the only people allowed to cross between the two countries at the Mulosa border post are truck drivers. The border is open for trade, but not for other purposes.

However, the border between Mozambique and Malawi is extremely porous. Malawi thrusts into central Mozambique like a dagger, and so has the longest border of any of the neighbouring countries.

People unable to cross the border at the official post might try to slip across elsewhere. Carvalho said that the Mozambican forces are attempting to patrol the border, to prevent people from entering or leaving the country clandestinely.

The Milange district health director, Leonardo Maresse, said the health authorities disinfect all trucks entering Mozambique from Malawi, and screen the truck drivers for any possible symptoms of Covid-19.

But while the authorities attempt to prevent the disease from crossing the border, the residents of Milange show no sign of taking precautions against Covid-19, such as wearing masks, or observing social distancing.

The Mayor of Milange, Felisberto Nvua, told STV that the Municipal Council has distributed over 2,000 masks to the various communities in the town, and has been trying to raise awareness about the need to wear the masks.

“We’ve been to the markets, into the communities and to many other places to draw people’s attention to the need to involve everybody in the struggle against this pandemic”, said Nvua. “But we feel there is a lot of stubbornness by people towards these measures”.

Source: AIM