South Africa closes border with Mozambique as post-election violence escalates

Thousands of protesters continued to pour into the streets of Mozambique's capital Maputo on Thursday over the outcome of the Oct 9 presidential poll. This came as South Africa's Border Management Authority temporarily closed its border post with the neighboring Mozambique due to security concerns following the ongoing post-election unrest.

Mike Masiapato, a commissioner with South Africa's Border Management Authority, said on Wednesday that the closure was prioritizing the safety of both travelers and the infrastructure. He added that the main challenge was caused by protesters in Mozambique who have reportedly damaged processing offices for both immigration and customs. This damage has raised concerns about the safe management of cross-border movement.

"Due to these security incidents and in the interest of public safety, the border has been temporarily closed until further notice. We are exploring ways to support Mozambican officials by processing travelers on the South African side and so far, seven Mozambican officials have requested refuge in South Africa for safety and protection," Masiapato said in a statement.

Mozambique's opposition has accused the ruling party FRELIMO of rigging the recently held election in favour of its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, who was declared the winner with more than 70 percent of the votes by the national Mozambique Electoral Commission.

Despite taking the vote rigging allegations to court, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane who came in second in the presidential election has called for a days-long marches to protest the results. Following the escalation in violence, regional body Southern African Development Community or SADC is set to discuss the situation during a meeting next week in Zimbabwe.

According to the Mozambique's Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, the ensuing clashes with security forces has so far resulted in at least 24 deaths. However, the country's interior ministry said that the police response was justified since the protests had turned violent prompting security forces to restore public order, which tragically led to fatalities.