Online Reporter
Mozambique’s largest port, Maputo, reported a 1 percent decline in volumes in 2024 mainly due to post-election protests that forced border closures and road blockages, the port operator said Monday.
The southeast African country was rocked by opposition protests after a disputed October 9 vote won by Daniel Chapo and his Frelimo party, which has governed Mozambique since 1975.
The unrest has left more than 300 people dead.
Maputo port volumes for 2024 dipped to 30,9 million tonnes, from a record 31,2 million tonnes in 2023, the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) said in a statement.
“The slight decrease in total volumes … was primarily due to the post-electoral protests and road blockages in the Maputo corridor, including border closure for several days and conditioned border and road operations for more than a month consolidated,” MPDC said.
The rail corridor from South Africa to Mozambique was also affected by the protests and blockages, paired with a derailment in October and November, which shut the line for a month, MPDC added.
The Maputo port is handling growing volumes mainly driven by commodity exporters increasingly sending cargo through Mozambique to get around logistics bottlenecks in SA. Goods handled include coal, chrome, copper, and grains such as maize and wheat. The MPDC is a consortium including multinational logistics firm DP World, South Africa’s Grindrod Ltd, and Mozambique’s State-owned rail operator Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique. — Reuters.
daniel chigunwe
