The Association of Small Importers of Mozambique (Mukhero) today warned of product shortages and price rises on the Mozambican market due to the long queues of trucks at the main border with South Africa.

"When the supply is lower, the price goes up," the president of Mukhero, Sudekar Novela, told Lusa, noting that the chaos of trucks has led to a shortage of products at the Zimpeto wholesale market in Maputo, where most of the goods are sold.

The issue is the failure of border services in South Africa, which has led to kilometers of queues of heavy trucks at the Komatipoort-Ressano Garcia border crossing to enter Mozambique, a situation that has increased the number of robberies in the region, according to the Mozambican authorities.

According to Sudekar Novela, quoted by Lusa, importers take risks and travel to South Africa, despite the more than 10 cases of robberies recorded by the association, because Mozambican consumers depend on products imported from that country.

"We continue to travel because it's also our livelihood. It's a risk, but those who manage to escape will sell the product and continue to support their families," he said, considering the situation "extremely worrying" and suggesting that the country produce more to reduce imports.

On Wednesday, Transport Minister Mateus Magala defended the use of rail transport by South African mineral exporters to put an end to long traffic jams.

On the report of robberies of Mozambican motorists in South Africa, Mateus Magala said that the governments of both countries had discussed possible solutions to the problem, pointing to unemployment as one of the causes of crime.

The South African authorities have announced interventions in the registration system at the main crossing between the two countries, 100 kilometers from Maputo and 450 from Johannesburg, which has caused stoppages several times in recent weeks.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the chaos on the main border between Mozambique and South Africa is due to an extreme increase in the flow of trucks over the last two years, which is currently around 2,000 a day, compared to an average of 600 trucks in previous years.