The South African side of the Lebombo Border with Mozambique has partially reopened, allowing Mozambican nationals in South Africa to return home. The border was initially closed on Thursday after a group of immigration officials from Mozambique sought refuge in South Africa due to escalating tensions in their home country.
The partial reopening occurred around 3:00 PM on Friday, with the Border Management Authority (BMA) confirming that it would allow the movement of people from South Africa to Mozambique, as well as South African trucks returning to the country.
“This reopening is specifically to facilitate the return of Mozambican nationals to their home country,” said Micheal Masiapato, Chairperson of the Border Management Authority. “We are unable to comment on the situation on the Mozambique side of the border, but the reopening is limited to people movement for now.”
Masiapato also provided an update from Mozambique, where authorities have indicated that the situation is slowly stabilising. “If the protests in Mozambique have indeed stabilized, we may be able to fully reopen for cargo movement,” he added.
The border closure on Thursday followed reports that several immigration officials at the Ressano Garcia border post, located on the Mozambican side of the Lebombo crossing, fled to South Africa amid unrest in their country. The unrest has raised concerns about safety and governance at border points, prompting the temporary closure.
As of now, the border remains open only for individuals wishing to cross back into Mozambique, while full cargo operations have yet to resume pending further developments.