Mozambique’s largest port, Maputo, reported a 1% decline in volumes in 2024 mainly due to post-election protests that forced border closures and road blockages, the port operator said on Tuesday.

The southeast African country was rocked by opposition protests after a disputed Oct. 9 vote won by Daniel Chapo and his Frelimo party, which has governed Mozambique since 1975. The unrest has left more than 300 people dead following a crackdown by security forces.

Maputo port volumes for 2024 dipped to 30.9 million metric tons, from a record 31.2 million metric tons in 2023, the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) said in a statement.

“The slight decrease in total volumes … was primarily due to the post-electoral protests and road blockages in the Maputo corridor, including border closure for several days and conditioned border and road operations for more than a month consolidated,” MPDC said.

The rail corridor from South Africa to Mozambique was also affected by the protests and blockages, paired with a derailment in October and November, which shut the line for a month, MPDC added.

The Maputo port is handling growing volumes mainly driven by commodity exporters increasingly sending cargo through Mozambique to get around logistics bottlenecks in South Africa. Goods handled include coal, chrome, copper, and grains such as maize and wheat.

The MPDC is a consortium including multinational logistics firm DP World, South Africa’s Grindrod Ltd , and Mozambique’s state-owned rail operator Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique.

The consortium, first granted the Maputo port concession in 2003, was last year granted an extension to 2058. The port is also set to be expanded to handle 58 million tons of cargo, from 37 million tons currently.

Reuters

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Due to persistent rain and flooding, South Africa has had to temporarily shut down a key border crossing with Botswana, the Border Management Authority said on Wednesday.

The Grobler’s Bridge crossing is used for trade, including miners in the Copperbelt region, which straddles the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Cargo is moved to Durban for shipping.

“The increased water level has reached a point where it significantly compromises the safe and efficient functioning of the port. As a precautionary measure, all vehicles within the operational space of the port have been cleared to ensure the safety of all individuals and equipment, said BMA commissioner Nakampe Michael Masiapato.

This follows consultations with the South African authority’s counterparts in Botswana.

“We assure the public that the situation is been closely monitored on an hourly basis and regular updates will be provided. For diversion of movements, Stockpoort and Platjan ports of entry can be used as alternatives by travellers and small vehicles as these are non-commercial ports,” he said.

For cargo movements, travellers and truck operators are advised to use Skilpadshek, Ramatlabam, Beitbridge and Kopfontein as alternative ports of entry.

Large parts of northern and eastern parts of the country have been experiencing heavy rain over the last week.

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Following massive issues at the Lebombo port of entry due to election-related protests in Mozambique, the Border Management Authority reported on Monday that it had been smooth sailing over the weekend.

A total of 52,252 travellers were processed, without major incidents or delays.

December is the busiest time of year for the border post.

“We are working with other law enforcement authorities and stakeholders such as the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to ensure that both trade and travel through Lebombo are handled with maximum efficiency and minimal delays during this high-demand period,” BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato said in a statement.

He said efficient facilitation had ensured uninterrupted cargo movements, with the previous backlog of trucks along the N4 highway cleared. 

According to BMA, both inbound and outbound traffic on the corridor toward the port were now flowing seamlessly.

The commissioner highlighted the importance of vigilance during this busy period. 

“The BMA remains vigilant and fully equipped to maintain this level of efficiency while continuing to monitor operations closely,” he said.

Travellers and stakeholders have been commended for their cooperation, and the BMA has encouraged adherence to border regulations to sustain the smooth flow of goods and people. 

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President Joe Biden on his visit to sub-Saharan Africa pledged another $600 million for a cross-continent rail corridor project Wednesday, telling regional leaders that “Africa has been left behind for much too long. But not anymore. Africa is the future.”

Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway, where the U.S. and allies are investing heavily to refurbish 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) of train lines in Zambia, Congo and Angola.

The project aims to advance the U.S. presence in a region rich in cobalt, copper and other critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies. By the end of the decade, the rail line could even go a long way toward linking southern Africa’s west and east coasts.

“It’s a game changer,” Biden said, and cited the transformational effect of building the transcontinental railroad in the United States. Cargo that once took 45 days to get to the United States — usually involving trucks to South Africa — will now take less than 45 hours, he said. He also predicted the project could transform the region from a food importer to exporter.

Altogether, Biden said the U.S. has invested $4 billion along the Lobito Corridor.

He was joined by the presidents of Angola, Congo and Zambia. Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi said the project could create tens of millions of jobs in his country, saying it will “change the trajectory of our region for good.” Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema called the project “a huge, huge, huge opportunity.”

Biden said the Lobito Corridor constituted the largest U.S. investment in a train project outside the country.

On Wednesday, he flew from the Angolan capital of Luanda to Lobito on Africa’s western coast to tour port facilities linked to the corridor and meet with representatives from companies that stand to benefit from the project.

The U.S. is promoting the Lobito Atlantic Railway upgrade as a catalyst that it hopes will spark a new era of Western private sector investment in this part of Africa. The corridor has also drawn financing from the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium and African banks.

Biden announced that Congo had also committed a new $553 million direct loan to the railway to upgrade and operate more than 1000 kilometers (621 miles) of line from Lobito to the Congo border.

The Biden administration also hopes to counter China’s growing influence in Africa. His long-awaited first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president came in a week where trade tensions between the U.S. and China over rare minerals needed in new technologies went up a notch.

China already has heavy investments in mining and processing African minerals and has used its Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure strategy to promote its economic and political influence.

In September, China said it had signed a deal with Tanzania and Zambia to revamp a separate railway line going east from Zambia to Tanzania’s commercial hub of Dar es Salaam on Africa’s east coast.

The countries had previously worked together to build the railway line in the 1970s, but it fell into disrepair. China’s move to renovate it — announced on the sidelines of this year’s China-Africa forum — is seen by some analysts as the Chinese response to the Lobito Corridor.

A senior U.S. administration official called the Lobito Corridor the heart of competing with China, not as a political adversary but from a business standpoint.

The idea is rather than pumping in aid, Washington will attempt to grow U.S. influence by promoting projects that can spark investment and help countries over the long haul. The U.S. is looking to replicate the Lobito Corridor project in other parts of the world, said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to offer details that hadn’t yet been made public.

The corridor won’t be completed for years, meaning much of the work would come during the administration of Donald Trump, who takes office Jan. 20. The Biden White House says Republicans in Congress have supported past efforts to promote African business interests through targeted investments and that such initiatives have appealed to Trump and his key advisers in the past.

“I want to come back and ride the whole thing,” Biden told the African leaders, before leaving the continent.

AP

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has announced the partial reopening of the Lebombo port of entry from Friday afternoon, to allow for the movement of people and the potential opening for cargo processing.

BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato said that Mozambique was busy finalising its preparations for cargo processing, and that would be allowed as soon as their officials were ready and stationed at the processing areas.

Masiapato, the Port Management Committee, the Mpumalanga community safety, security and liaison department, and MEC Jackie Macie, have all agreed on the partial reopening on the assurance that operations would proceed with safety measures taken for all stakeholders.

They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring safe cross-border movement and trade to avoid further loss of revenue.

“The high-level engagement was fruitful with the government of Mozambique’s national leadership at the Lebombo port of entry for workable solutions and discussions.

“Cargo movement between South Africa and Mozambique will resume as soon as the systems on the Mozambique side are ready. This meeting was critical and provided a strategy for a safe and controlled partial reopening of the border,” Masiapato said.

BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said the proactive strategy has also been employed to engage trucking companies, formal traders and associations to provide updates on the discussions on the ground.

She said the BMA appreciated the understanding and cooperation of the public during this challenging time, saying that the safety and wellbeing of all travellers and personnel at the port of entry remained the top priority.

Meanwhile, the Road Freight Association (RFA) has revealed that South Africa’s economy has suffered losses exceeding R50 million due to the closure.

It was triggered by escalating protests and political unrest in Mozambique following that country’s general election October.

It has severely impacted exports, imports and the logistics industry.

The latest disruptions come as violent demonstrations against the election results intensified, particularly in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo.

RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said that the situation had led to hundreds of trucks, carrying critical cargo such as chrome and coal, being stranded at the border.

Kelly highlighted that the R50 million included both direct and indirect costs, such as damaged goods, blocked supply chains, and the need for increased security as the safety of drivers and trucks remained the one of the biggest challenges.

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