The Lebombo Port of Entry was shut down again this morning, following an escalation in the ongoing political uprisings in Mozambique.

Mozambicans are up in arms against the ruling party, Frelimo, amid claims that the country’s national election votes were rigged.

TRAC, which manages the N4 highway, has reported that the port was at a standstill just before 09:00 this morning. “No vehicles are able to enter Mozambique due to the political unrest at Ressano Garcia,” said its alert.

The border was only partially operational yesterday, as only light motor vehicles and pedestrians were being processed. Truck drivers were asked to find alternative routes as the Mozambican political protests entered their third wave yesterday, with vehicles being parked along the roads in Maputo as one of the protest strategies.

Bernardo Nhadumbuque, a resident of Hulene near Maputo, said a truck was just torched near the Ressano Garcia Port of Entry following a misunderstanding between the protesters and the driver.

“The driver of the truck from Maputo failed to co-operate with the protesters, hence his truck was set on fire near the Ressano Garcia Border at around 10:30 today. The Frelimo Party’s agents immediately removed the torched truck in their attempt to hide the evidence of the magnitude of this protest,” he adds.

Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority could not immediately comment on the current situation. At the time, the deputy assistant commissioner, Mmemme Mogotsi, said she was in a meeting.