Logistics company Grindrod said on Thursday 7 November that it had suspended port and terminal operations in Mozambique after South Africa temporarily closed its main border for security reasons following a violent crackdown on post-election protests.
According to Reuters, the suspension will affect the movement of goods and merchandise in a region already struggling with logistical bottlenecks, as underfunded state-owned port and railway companies struggle to provide adequate services.
According to human rights groups, at least 18 people have been killed in the protests, at a time when opposition supporters are demonstrating against what they say is a fraudulent electoral victory for Frelimo (the party that has ruled Mozambique since 1975).
The South African border authority said on Wednesday (6) that it had closed the Lebombo border crossing after receiving reports of vehicles being set on fire on the Mozambican side.
A statement from Grindrod said it had suspended port and terminal operations in Maputo and Matola following the closure of the border and the suspension of rail services.
The company is part of a consortium that received a concession to operate the port of Maputo together with DP World, Companhia Moçambicana de Caminhos-de-Ferro and Gestores (a private Mozambican company).
The port of Maputo saw record growth in 2023, partly due to the increase in export volumes of coal and chromium diverted from South Africa, where the public company Transnet is failing to provide adequate rail and port capacity.
In 2023, the port infrastructure handled a record 31.2 million tonnes of cargo, mainly minerals, including copper, chromium, ferrochrome and coal, an increase of 16% on the previous year.
