The Lebombo Port of Entry has been closed due to security incidents reported on the Mozambican side.
According to the Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), vehicles are being torched and a decision was taken to temporarily close the port to ensure the safety of all cross-border transporters, travelers, traders and officials operating at the port.
BMA officers have had to run back to safety on the South African side as protests became violent at Ressano Garcia, a small area in Maputo Province, located close to the Lebombo port of entry.
It is reported that protesters on the Mozambican side of the border have burnt down an immigration office in that country.
BMA commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato says BMA officials, the South African Police and the army have been engaged to stop the protest from spilling over into the South African side.
The Border Management Border says it is coordinating closely with Mozambican authorities and South African law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation and work towards reopening the port as soon as it is safe to do so.
Travellers and other stakeholders are advised to suspend travel through Lebombo Port until further notice.
The BMA says alternative routes to Mozambique must be used where feasible until the situation has stabilised.
Call for peaceful protests
Several nations have called for restraint in Mozambique as peaceful protests called by the opposition continue in the country following the elections.
The ruling party, Frelimo won last month’s polls.
In a joint statement, the United States of America, the British High Commission, the High Commission of Canada, the Embassy of Norway and the Embassy of Switzerland have called for human life and the rule of law to be respected.
They have also called on the Constitutional Council to deliver the final stages of the electoral process transparently and in line with its mandate.
The nations further reiterated their support for the Mozambican people in exercising their rights under the UN Declaration of Human Rights to peaceful assembly and association, freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to information.