Well-known digital creator shot in Ressano Garcia; business calls for truce

Protests turned violent again last night at Mozambique’s Ressano Garcia border post and well-known digital creator Mano Shottas was shot and killed while capturing the police and defence force’s actions.

The community retaliated by torching the restaurant of a well-known Frelimo politician, the dry port and the local administrative offices.

This video shows the exact moment a man was shot 1 hour ago in Ressano Garcia (border with South Africa) while doing a Facebook Live.

Ressano was under Tear gas. The man shot (Mano Shotta) was on the streets Live on Facebook criticizing the way security forces were… pic.twitter.com/VzYcJrCtst

— Cídia Chissungo (@Cidiachissungo) December 12, 2024

An insider with sound knowledge of the situation said unhappy truck drivers, and not protesters, started the chain of events. According to him, the drivers barricaded the road at KM4, a customs clearance stop. “There were not even protesters in sight,” he confirmed and stated that he was witness to what happened. The smaller back roads, well-known to locals, were also closed off.

The truck drivers’ anger followed the announcement by South Africa’s transport minister, Barbara Creecy, on Monday that the border would be intermittently closed to trucks. She also said their Mozambican counterparts had confirmed the closure to cargo and travellers too.

Also read: Contingency plans to be put in place at Lebombo Border

While the special police task force was deployed to Ressano Garcia, shots were fired in the town.

“I think this is a turning point in the protests and the anger towards the [ruling] Frelimo Party,” he commented.

@noticias.frescas6 #vm7 #povonopoder✊🇲🇿 #moçambique🇲🇿 ♬ som original – VM7 Noticias

@001.06.1995Banco do Millennium Bim está em chamas em Ressano Gracia 🥹♬ som original – Ferrão Florentino Abílio

The border is open today but the tension is palpable. The extent of the damage is not yet known.

Earlier this week, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), representing the private sector, asked the Mozambican president, Filipe Nyusi, for security guarantees for multinational companies.

According to a press release from the CTA, some companies are taking steps to declare force majeure, which is a clause in contracts that makes provision for unforeseeable circumstances that prevent a party from fulfilling their contractual obligations. Others asked for military escorts on the country’s main corridors.

The press release quoted CTA president Agostinho Vuma: “We have some multinationals that are taking steps to declare force majeure, so we are warning that, while urgent acts of the truce are taking place, there is also a need to help control the main corridors.”

The business sector warned the unemployment rate will increase and investors will withdraw from the country.

Protest actions have forced an interruption in the flow of cargo trucks from borders and a queue of 20km was recorded on the South African side of the Ressano Garcia border.

@bonginkosimazivil♬ original sound – Bonginkosi Mazivila

The CTA confirmed that more than 13 000 tourism reservations have been cancelled since the protest action started. The organisation has called on the president to negotiate a truce with Venâncio Mondlane, the leader of the Podemos party, who is leading the action in protest of the election results.

Caxton Network News further confirmed that 99% of South African farmers have suspended activities and returned to South Africa until the political unrest has been resolved.

Yesterday, Zitimar News in Maputo reported that Syrah Resources’ Mozambican subsidiary had evacuated staff and halted production at its graphite mine in the Balama district of the Cabo Delgado province.

The reasons provided were the government’s inability to provide security or to resolve a dispute with upset locals who have been blocking access to the mine for almost three months.

The Australian company told investors that the nationwide unrest had an impact on its efforts to resolve existing protests in Balama.

This follows the company’s announcement on its website in early November that Syrah Resources’ subsidiary Twigg Exploration and Mining Limitada had signed a binding agreement with the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for a US$150m (about R2.6b) loan facility to support its Balama Graphite Operation in Mozambique.

The loan is DFC’s first loan to a graphite operation and aligns with the US government’s push to secure critical minerals for clean energy and electric vehicle supply chains.

Mondlane announced on Tuesday that the next phase of the protest action, called the Turbo V8 Ultra/Super phase, will kick-start on Monday, December 16.

Also read: Mozambique in turmoil, South Africans should stay away