The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), a non-governmental organization (NGO), this Monday accused the Mozambican government of being “unable to put pressure” on South Africa to stop attacks on Mozambican cars, warning of retaliation.”
The CDD notes in a statement that the executive has shown “a clear failure to pressure the South African authorities to address the insecurity” caused by strangers on the roads.
In this sense, the NGO notes that it was “predictable” that Mozambique’s retaliation was in response to the shooting of Mozambican vehicles in South Africa, as it said happened a week ago in the Matutuin area.
On the 7th, unidentified persons set fire to a minibus with a South African registration near Boa Vista, ordering the passengers to get off.
The CDD notes that Mozambican carriers feel abandoned by the authorities because “at least 14 vehicles” have already been affected by acts of “vandalization” in South Africa.
“As the victims feel abandoned by the government, worrying signs of retribution and justice in their own hands are starting to appear,” the statement also said.
In addition to showing that the Mozambican government has shown its inability to pressure Pretoria to restore order along the Maputo-Durban road corridor, it has shown no readiness for violence along that stretch, CDD notes.
Last week, the president of the Mozambique Federation of Road Carriers (Fematro), Castigo Nhamane, told Lusa that operators had suspended passenger services between Maputo and Durban due to lack of safety on the route.
“We have suspended our operations” and a meeting with South African operators is expected, Nhamane said.
The leader of this association said that Mozambican carriers were taking passengers to the Ponta de Ouro border without entering South Africa, and that South African carriers had also stopped entering Mozambique, leaving passengers at the crossing.