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Mozambique / South Africa: Migration services set to avoid chaos in Ressano this festive season
7:58 CAT | 25 Nov 2021
Photo: O País
With the festive season ahead, Migration Services in Maputo province are reinforcing technical and human resources to respond to anticipated cross-border movement at Ressano Garcia, the country’s largest and busiest land border.
There were moments of chaos at Ressano Garcia in the 2020 to 2021 festive seasons. Images that for many days characterised that land border post with neighbouring South Africa are still present in the memory of users. Long lines of vehicles, people spending nights outdoors; this is the scenario the authorities are now seeking to avoid.
According to the spokesperson for SENAMI in Maputo Province, Juca Bata, the usual 18 booths at the Ressano border post will increase to 29, with an increase in service personnel.
As for cargo trucks, which also contributed to the chaos at the border, an extension has been created at Kilometre 4 to make customs clearance more flexible.
Read: Chaos on the Mozambique / South Africa border – AIM report
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Miners will also have specialised assistance, with seven windows on the South African side and four on the Mozambican side
“Some new scenarios are being designed, to see if we can reduce and eliminate the floods we had last festive season,” said Bata.
“Migratory movement will be attended to in the usual points previously established. We already have the equipment installed, including where we are going to attend especially to the miners. We also have the Kilometre Four facility, which will be activated from Day Two for the return movement. The dry port will also be used to decongest the roads of chromium iron trucks,” he outlined.
Bata says that the South African authorities have already made proposals to extend the opening hours of the two border posts – Libombo in South Africa and Ressano Garcia on the Mozambican side – but because there is still a mandatory curfew (from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.) in Mozambique, the matter will need to be analysed by the authorities at a higher level. “It’s not just up to the operational command to decide; it has to go to the highest level.”
“But as to the main objective, which is to increasingly ease the migratory movement and other situations, this opening of the border for 24 hours will be welcome, and I think that whoever has the authority will give us the go-ahead to continue working at this time,” Bata predicted.
Read: Mozambique: Reopening all beaches during festive season under consideration – Watch | TVM
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In the second week of December, the joint festive season operation will be launched involving the defence and security forces, the health sector and including other relevant sectors, with the participation also of counterparts in South Africa.
By Amandio Borges
Source: O País
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