Australian mining company South32 Ltd. has announced the suspension of production forecasting (the process of estimating future demand for products) at its aluminium smelter in Mozambique, Mozal, due to the widespread and violent protests that are affecting the country.
According to BNN Bloomberg, the roadblocks have made it difficult to transport raw materials to the plant, located near the capital, Maputo, although the company has stated that the workforce remains safe and there have been no serious security incidents.
Initially, the mining company estimated production of 360,000 tonnes of aluminium at Mozal for the fiscal year ending in June 2025. However, the logistical challenges caused by political and social instability have forced the company to review its operations.
The protests, which have been going on since the general elections on 9 October, have resulted in more than 100 deaths, hundreds of injuries and thousands of arrests. Most of the victims are demonstrators who have clashed with the police.
‘There is a great deal of civil unrest in the country, which is impacting on our ability to move supplies,’ said South32 CEO Graham Kerr, who emphasised that the situation is under control, but requires constant monitoring.
Mozal is one of Mozambique’s economic pillars and will be responsible for around 1.1 billion dollars in aluminium exports by 2023, making it the country’s third largest export product. Despite implementing contingency plans to mitigate operational impacts, the company has not yet released details of these measures.
The protests in Mozambique have also led South Africa to temporarily close the main border post between the two countries, affecting the logistics of exporting South African chromium ore through the Port of Maputo. The situation is worsening, which emphasises the importance of political stability for the continuity of industrial and commercial activities in the region.
