South Africa shuts down its main border with Mozambique as protests over the election get worse

South Africa’s border authority said on Wednesday that the main border crossing with Mozambique has been briefly closed for safety reasons. This comes as protests in Mozambique against last month’s disputed election continue to grow.

Human rights groups say that at least 18 people have been killed in the protests. The protesters are against what they see as Frelimo’s fake election win, as the party has been in power in Mozambique since 1975.

In response, police have used tear gas and live ammo, and the government has blocked the internet and said it will send in the army.

The South African government told Reuters via email that the Lebombo port of entry in the Mpumalanga province had been closed because of reports of cars being set on fire on the Mozambican side.

“Because of these security incidents and to protect the public, the port has been temporarily closed until further notice,” the statement said. It also said that seven Mozambican officials had asked to be safe and protected in South Africa.

A reporter for SABC, South Africa’s public station, put up a video on X that showed a long line of trucks waiting to cross the border. The reporter said the line went on for kilometers.

These new protests in Mozambique are part of a week of rallies called by Venancio Mondlane, the presidential candidate who came in second place in the Oct. 9 election but says he won.

There have been claims of fraud, but the electoral commission has not said anything, and Frelimo has not responded to calls for comment.

On Thursday, the protests will come to an end with a march on Maputo, the city. Mozambique’s Defense Minister, Cristovao Chume, said on Tuesday that the military was ready to step in and warning people not to try to take power.

Based on information from the Mozambican Center for Democracy and Human Rights, 24 people had been killed by police. Zenaida Machado, a reporter for Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that she knew of 18 deaths so far but thought there were more.

The minister of the interior has praised how the police responded, saying that the protests were violent and that security forces had to kill people to restore order.