Mozambique: Ressano Garcia border post re-opens – AIM

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Ressano Garcia border post re-opens – AIM

9:24 CAT | 11 Nov 2024

Photo: O País

The Ressano Garcia border post, on the frontier between Mozambique and South Africa reopened on Saturday, after two days of complete closure caused by the destruction of customs and immigration facilities, during demonstrations against the results of the 9 October general elections, widely regarded as fraudulent.

The spokesperson for the Mozambican Tax Authority (AT), Fernando Tinga, speaking at a Maputo press conference, told reporters that the closure of the Ressano Garcia border had damaging impacts on the country’s economy, since so much of the food consumed in southern Mozambique is imported from South Africa via Ressano Garcia.

Tinga said that the border post was partly or completely closed for eight days, and he put the revenue loss at around 400 million meticais (about 6.3 million US dollars).

Despite the severe damage caused by the demonstrations, Tinga insisted that the border post is now fully operational, for processing travellers, vehicles and goods.

Security conditions have been established on both sides of the border, he said. “Conditions are in place so that all those who pass through the border can do so without anomalous situations that violate their security”, he added.

He insisted that the legality of all merchandise entering or leaving Mozambique can be guaranteed.

The destruction at Ressano Garcia happened after one of the demonstrators was shot. The demonstrators then burnt all the vehicles of customs and immigration staff. They went to the building where the immigration services operate, and destroyed the equipment, such as computers, used to issue visas.

The staff fled across the border into South Africa, and the South African authorities issued warnings that their citizens should not attempt to cross the Ressano Garcia border.