Lebombo Port of Entry Lebombo border between South Africa and Mozambique reopens for cargo processing. Picture: Supplied
The Border Management Authority (BMA) said on Sunday that processing of cargo at the Lebombo Border between South Africa and Mozambique is continuing smoothly.
This comes after the BMA closed the border last week due to safety concerns as a result of sporadic tensions and protests in the small town of Ressano Garcia, which is located close to the Lebombo Port of Entry. The protests have arisen after the Mozambican elections.
On Saturday, BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said the authority, together with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), resumed cargo operations following the partial reopening of the Lebombo port of entry.
She said the BMA and SARS are hard at work to clear the cargo backlog.
“The port is now open for cargo movement, after the Mozambican authorities managed to address challenges with their systems to facilitate processing through the Ressano Garcia port of entry. The initial reopening of the port was to manage the movement of persons, but this morning [Saturday], the Mozambican authorities worked tirelessly to address cargo systems for smooth border processing,” said Mogotsi.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato confirmed that the Mozambican systems have been restored, with processing activities resuming at the KM 4 checkpoint on the Mozambican side.
“This development paves the way for the full reopening of the port and enables the BMA and SARS teams to work diligently in clearing the current cargo backlog,” he said.
In an update on Sunday, the BMA said processing of cargo had begun and operations were continuing well.
“The activities at kilometre four on the Mozambique side are fully stabilised and as we speak, the corridor is fully secured by the Mozambican defence as well as the police services. On that basis, we haven't had any negative news of any of our trucks being intercepted.”
In terms of the movement of people, the BMA said they are continuing to process the Mozambicans intending to go back to Mozambique as well as South Africans intending to come back to South Africa.
“However, we still want people to be cautious in terms of wanting to go to Mozambique for leisure primarily because we are not necessarily sure as to what will happen on Monday regarding the issue of the strike.”
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