The government of Mozambique on Thursday assured tourists who intend to visit the country during the festive season that the borders are fully operational, with tourist sites safe, despite the post-election demonstrations.
In a statement sent to Lusa, the executive, through the minister for tourism and culture, Eldevina Materula, said that the demonstrations were “localised in urban areas” and that popular tourist destinations, including parks, national reserves, beaches and other coastal regions, “remain safe, unchanged and open to normal activities”.
“Airports and land crossings are operational, allowing travellers to reach their destinations,” assures the minister, acknowledging the “apprehension” of tourists already booked in the face of strikes and stoppages to contest election results.
“The focus remains on ensuring the safety of all visitors and residents and we are working closely with the private sector of the tourism and travel industry and local authorities to provide accurate information,” the minister assures.
In the same document, the government calls for the use of the land borders of Ponta d’Ouro, Namaacha and Goba, all in Maputo province, to ease the burden on Ressano Garcia, the country’s largest road corridor, as part of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The minister also emphasised that the executive is committed to ensuring “proactive measures” to ensure the vitality of the tourism sector and avoid scaremongering.
“The sector remains resilient and ready to welcome travellers. Without a doubt, Mozambicans deeply value the contributions of visitors,” added the minister.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for a new week-long phase of electoral contestation, starting on Wednesday, in ‘all the neighbourhoods’ of Mozambique, with motor traffic paralysed from 8am to 4pm.
‘All the neighbourhoods are in strong activity,’ said Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the results announced from the general elections on 9 October, in a statement on his official Facebook account, calling for a new period of protest from 4 to 11 December.
“We’re going to gather in the neighbourhoods and on the main avenues that cross our neighbourhoods – we don’t need to travel far – and put up our posters,” said Venâncio Mondlane.
The announcement by Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for President, with 70.67% of the votes, triggered popular protests, called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane and which have degenerated into violent clashes with the police.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but the latter does not recognise the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Lusa
