There are containers of rice stuck in Maputo harbour and their departure will depend on the situation of order and tranquillity over the next few days. The information was provided by the government after a meeting with the Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce.
Made up of 25 companies, the Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce is one of those that most uses the Maputo corridor for the entry and exit of products, a movement that has been paralysed in recent days due to the post-election demonstrations.
And because the route has been restricted for supplies to the main commercial establishments, some of which have been victims of vandalisation, the government says that there are products that have entered by sea, but that their exit to the market is hostage to the situation of order on the streets.
‘The MPDC has shared with us the arrival of some ships of food products, specifically rice, but they can’t leave the Port of Maputo because the lorries can’t move because of the situation,’ said Silvino Moreno, minister of industry and commerce.
The companies decided to set up a crisis management group, with an eye on recovering stability and resuming their normal activities.
‘In an organised way, they set up a crisis management group, which is a group that looks at operations on a daily basis and, for the most part, companies use the Maputo corridor. So they receive their products, raw materials and finished products from the Ressano Garcia border. This crisis group is also managing the use of the corridor, because it’s one of the big developments that serves them. We’re talking about the Port of Maputo, MPDC, Shoprite itself, which imports thousands of tonnes of products every day, which we consume,’ he added.
At the moment, and in coordination with South Africa, the government guarantees that the Maputo corridor is operational. On the spot, Silvino Moreno confirmed that the company Sasol would continue its operations on Mozambican soil.
The Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, which is made up of multinationals, said on Monday that its members are doing everything they can to supply basic necessities in order to avoid a crisis within families.
