Key South African Trade Route Blocked as Fuel Costs Surge
- South Africa increased fuel prices to a record this week
- Blockage is hurting chrome and coal exports via Maputo port
Trucks heading for Mozambique backed up on the N4 highway outside Mbombela in South Africa, on July 6, after protesters blocked parts of the road.
Photographer: Matthew Hill/Bloomberg
Protesters in a city in South Africa’s north east blocked roads including a key route linking the country to Mozambique with trucks Wednesday as they demonstrated against pump prices rising to a new record.
The road between Mbombela, 350 kilometers (217 miles) east of Johannesburg, and White River has been obstructed by parked trucks, as is the N4 highway connecting the city to the border with Mozambique and the port of Maputo, Callum MacPherson, regional operations manager at Hi-Tech Security Nelspruit, said by phone. A group of minibus-taxi operators started blocking trucks and taking drivers’ keys at around 1 a.m. local time, according to freight drivers Bloomberg spoke to.