(Bloomberg) — Protesters in the Mozambican border town of Ressano Garcia seized control of a number of trucks and used them to blockade a key metals-export route from neighboring South Africa on Monday, according to the Trans African Concessions, which operates the route.
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Public buses were also prevented from operating on the N4 highway and passengers were forced to get out and walk, the operator said. Traffic flows had resumed by the early hours of Tuesday morning, the TRAC said in a later statement.
The N4 highway links South Africa industrial heartland in the center of the country to the Maputo port and is an important export route for chromite and ferrochrome.
In a different incident, tires were set alight on Monday on the road near a toll plaza outside Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, causing some damage, the TRAC said. It had urged people to avoid traveling over the border until calm had been restored.
Mozambique has been gripped by turmoil since Oct. 9 elections. The official results showed the ruling party extending its 49-year hold on power and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo winning 71% of the votes cast. But independent candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who placed second, dismissed the outcome as fraudulent and has called for protests to ensure the electorate’s will is respected.
The Constitutional Council has instructed the electoral authorities to provide it with tally sheets from seven of the 11 voting constituencies for verification.
(Updates with reopening of road in second paragraph.)
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