The government of Mozambique assured tourists planning to visit the country during the festive season this Thursday that the borders are fully operational, with tourist sites safe, despite the post-election demonstrations.
In a statement sent to Lusa, the government, through the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Eldevina Materula, said that the demonstrations were “localized in urban areas” and that popular tourist destinations, including parks, national reserves, beaches and other coastal regions, “remain safe, unchanged and open for normal activities”.
“Airports and land crossings are operational, allowing travelers to reach their destinations”, the minister assured, acknowledging the “apprehension” of tourists who already had reservations due to the strikes and stoppages to contest the election results.
“The focus remains on ensuring the safety of all visitors and residents and we are working closely with the private sector in the tourism and travel industry and local authorities to provide accurate information,” the minister assured.
In the same document, the government requests the use of the land borders of Ponta d’Ouro, Namaacha and Goba, all in Maputo province, to ease the burden on Ressano Garcia, the country’s largest road corridor, during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The minister also stressed that the executive is committed to ensuring “proactive measures” to ensure the vitality of the tourism sector and avoid scaremongering.
“The sector remains resilient and ready to welcome travelers. Without a doubt, Mozambicans deeply value the contributions of visitors,” added the minister.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has called for a new week-long phase of electoral protests, starting on Wednesday in “all neighborhoods” of Mozambique, with traffic brought to a standstill from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“All neighborhoods are in a state of high activity,” said Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the announced results of the October 9 general elections, in a statement on his official Facebook account, calling for a new period of protest from December 4 to 11.
“We will gather in the neighborhoods and on the main avenues that cross our neighborhoods – we don’t have to go far – and put up our posters,” said Venâncio Mondlane.
The announcement by Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the presidential election, with 70.67% of the vote, triggered popular protests, called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, which degenerated into violent clashes with the police.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but it does not recognise the results, which have yet to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Source: Lusa
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