Mozambique: Post-election protests hinder food distribution at Maputo Port – AIM

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Mozambique: Post-election protests hinder food distribution at Maputo Port – AIM

9:32 CAT | 31 Dec 2024

File photo: O País

Mozambique’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Silvino Moreno, stated that ships carrying various goods, particularly rice, are facing difficulties in distributing food products from Maputo Port due to the violent post-election protests, which are obstructing the movement of freight trucks in the cities of Maputo and Matola, in the southern region of the country.

The protests, ongoing for about three months, were called by Venâncio Mondlane, a former presidential candidate of the PODEMOS party, who was defeated in the October 9 general elections.

Speaking to the press after a virtual meeting between the Chambers of Commerce of Mozambique and South Africa held yesterday in Maputo, Moreno noted that ships have been docked at Maputo Port for weeks.

“The MPDC [Maputo Port Development Company] shared with us the arrival of some ships carrying food products, specifically rice, but unfortunately, these cannot leave the port because trucks cannot operate under these [protest] conditions,” he said.

Last week, hundreds of protesters, including locals, looted various food products, particularly rice, from large warehouses located in the Matola industrial park and from stores and supermarkets in the cities of Matola and Maputo.

Unofficial data indicates that over 40 warehouses were looted by locals. As a result, food shortages, particularly rice, are already being felt in southern regions of the country.

To better coordinate efforts, Mozambican and South African companies recently created a crisis management group for the Maputo Logistics Corridor, which is the main export and import route used by about 25 South African companies.

Moreno explained that this group is focused on ensuring the safety of goods transported from Maputo Port to various stores in southern Mozambique’s capital cities and to neighboring South Africa, and vice versa.

“We’re talking about entities like Shoprite, which imports several tons of products daily for sale in its supermarkets,” he emphasized, adding that the Maputo logistics corridor is functioning normally.

The minister also assured that the military escort stationed along the Maputo logistics corridor is fulfilling its role, especially in the region near the Ressano Garcia border.

Since the beginning of the violent post-election protests, called by Venâncio Mondlane, the corridor has been targeted by acts of sabotage near the Ressano Garcia border.

These acts of vandalism include the destruction of businesses, offices, the burning of trucks, and the closure of other border posts in the country.

“We cannot only consider the economic losses here but also the social impact these protests and stoppages will have,” Moreno said.

This morning, Moreno visited the province of Maputo, where he met with the governor, Manuel Tule, and the State Secretary, Judith Mussácula.

“There are reports, for example, of a vandalized warehouse that employed 2,000 people; we’re talking about just one company, so the impact will be significant,” he emphasized.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Transport and Communications, Manuel Gonçalves and Amilton Alissone, respectively.

Source: AIM