By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) announced at the weekend that cargo operations had resumed after the reopening of the Lebombo port of entry.
On Thursday, the BMA temporarily closed the border crossing into Mozambique following a new wave of protests that broke out around Maputo.
There have so far been eight days of delays at the border crossing, with full closure over the last four days.
BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, said with the restoration of Mozambique’s processing systems, normal operations have resumed.
“We are pleased to announce 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.
“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 into Mozambique. “
The Port of Maputo has become a noteworthy competitor to South African ports, overtaking Durban in the World Bank’s container port performance index for 2023. It came in 329th out of 405 ports globally, while Durban was ranked 399th.
Mozambique has experienced violent demonstrations since its election results were announced on 24 October. The ruling party’s presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, won 71% of the vote, extending the party’s 49-year rule.