SA, Mozambique agree to work together to ease disruption to trade

Protests in Mozambique after the disputed election and the resultant disruptions in the Lebombo and Ressano Garcia ports have had a significant negative affect on the economies of both countries and the free movement of people and goods. 

South African and Mozambican government representatives made this observation after meeting in Malelane, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday and agreed on measures to jointly mitigate the disruption at the countries’ ports of entry.

The ministers agreed to enhance channels for frequent and continuous engagements to mitigate disruptions to trade and supply chains. They also agreed to jointly identify alternative routes and deploy additional resources to expedite and facilitate trade and collaborate with all stakeholders, particularly business, to limit the disruptions to their operations. 

International relations and co-operation minister Ronald Lamola said the South African delegation included transport minister Barbara Creecy, trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau, defence minister Angie Motshekga, Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu, the Border Management Authority and Sars representatives. 

The representatives said many companies had suffered losses as result of the disruption in trade and that should the situation persist, there was a great danger of food and energy insecurity. 

The ministers agreed that both countries would endeavour to protect and secure the infrastructure for trade facilitation and continued collaboration to ensure minimum disruption for regional integration, including associated cross-border value chains. 

In a media briefing after the meeting, Mozambique's interior minister Pascoal Ronda said his government was awaiting an outcome from that country’s Constitutional Council after concerns were raised about the preliminary election results. 

Ronda said President Filipe Nyusi had extended an invitation to opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane to have a dialogue about the protests but Mondlane did not show up.

“Government is engaged in finding solutions to these problems,” Ronda said. 

When asked whether there was a national security risk to South Africa as a result of the Mozambique protests, Lamola said the trade corridor was important for South Africa for petroleum products and for gas that travels through a pipeline.   

“This meeting has looked at mitigating measures in that regard, and also to call for restraint and calm from communities adjacent to the border in Mozambique to allow due processes of the elections and also for us to engage on long-term issues to mitigate economic challenges faced by such communities,” Lamola said. 

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