Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Machipanda border post, between the Mozambican province of Manica and Zimbabwe, started operating 24 hours a day this week to respond to the increase in heavy goods traffic at Porto da Beira, an official source announced today.
“We need to put it into context that Porto da Beira [in Sofala province] operates 24 hours a day. So the Machipanda post was missing to be able to do this correspondence because the lorries were being released and were accumulating here in the middle, between the Porto and the [border] post,” said Abílio Mathe, spokesman for the Manica provincial migration directorate, in central Mozambique, quoted by Rádio Moçambique.
The measure has been in force since Monday, the migration spokesman added.
According to the official, the continuous movement between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, through the centre of the country, has forced the authorities of both states to increase border staff to meet demand.
Regardless of when the trucks leave the Port of Beira, “there is the possibility of making the crossing, this is a major gain at all levels,” said Abílio Mathe.
According to the migration spokesman in Manica, until Sunday the Machipanda border was open between 06:00 and 22:00, which restricted the crossing of lorries, most of which were transporting goods, creating huge queues in the region and in Zimbabwe.
As well as Machipanda, the Ressano Garcia border, the main one between Mozambique and South Africa, has also been operating 24 hours a day since 2022.
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