South Africa’s border with Mozambique was yesterday closed after an unruly mob barricaded the N4 near Ressano Garcia, targeting trucks with South African registration numbers.

The development comes after South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa and that country’s deputy Police Minister issued a statement inciting violence against foreigners in South Africa.

“Trucks with South African registration plates have been stoned in Mozambique. A volatile crowd of between 200 – 300 Mozambicans barricaded the N4 about four kilometres east of the Resano Garcia border post, where there is a truck stop,” reported Corridor Gazette.

“It is suspected that this action in related to the Xenophobic attacks which have erupted in various areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng this week.”

Trac, a company which is responsible for the 570km of the road between Solomon Mahlangu off-ramp in Tshwane and the Port of Maputo in Mozambique, placed a warning on the protest action on its website.

Elsewhere South Africans working for SASOL at Pande near Vilanculos, and some at the Tete mines, have been moved or pulled out due to threats of retaliation.

Alternative routes for tourists could be Komatipoort – Mananga border into Swaziland and then from there to Namaacha or Goba borders into Mozambique. Then drive to Boane and Maputo. – jbaynews/additional reporting