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President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla / Gallo Images)
- Relatives of South Africans caught in attacks by jihadist insurgents in northern Mozambique say the government has not been of much help.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet with the heads of the security group on Saturday afternoon.
- So far the death of a South African has been confirmed, and the whereabouts of several expatriates are still unknown.
More details have emerged about how expats and villagers had to fend for themselves during the past three days when Palma, in northern Mozambique, was invaded and besieged by around 100 jihadist insurgents.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend an urgent meeting this afternoon on the situation, and News24 understands that there is talk that the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) will deploy its special forces to help contain the situation.
But for some families this has come too late. A South African woman, who received news on Saturday morning that she had lost her son in an attack on the Amarula Lodge on Friday, said she asked the Department of International Relations and Cooperation for help on Thursday.
“They said they can’t go in because there are too many ‘fireworks’,” he added.
READ | South African among those killed in violence in northern Mozambique
The woman, who preferred not to be identified because of the distress the news could cause other family members, said her husband and two children worked as construction subcontractors near Palma.
She had been too distraught to sleep or eat since the attacks began Wednesday, but said she was relieved to learn Saturday morning that her husband and son, as well as the body of her late son, were evacuated to Pemba to about 250 km from the city. South.
They are staying with friends and are expected to return to South Africa in the next few days.
Jayde Alexander, whose father Nicholas was still missing Saturday afternoon, said the department told her it would only be able to help him once he was safe.
“Is [insurgency] It has been going on for four years and there is a large South African citizenry in place. They had all the information they needed to be prepared, “Alexander added, distraught over the South African government’s response.
Relatives of some of the expats working there have formed a WhatsApp group in a desperate attempt to obtain information on where their loved ones might be.
Ramaphosa was expected to excuse himself from a crucial meeting of the ANC national executive committee on Saturday afternoon so that he could have an urgent meeting with Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and other heads of the security group on the situation.
News24 understands that a meeting with Mapisa-Nqakula was scheduled for 2:00 pm, but Presidential spokesman Tyrone Seale said he was not commenting on security issues.
Mozambique (Palma) 1) Was the assault in response to Total’s press release? No, the attack showed meticulous planning, making a quick reaction decidedly implausible. pic.twitter.com/j9LhX2T3Bt
– Jasmine Opperman (@ Jasminechic00) March 27, 2021
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini has not responded to a question about a possible deployment of soldiers to Mozambique, except to acknowledge receipt of the question.
On Friday evening, the spokesman for the department of international relations and cooperation, Lunga Ngqengelele, said that he had confirmed the situation “through our mission in Mozambique” and that the department was “providing consular services to afflicted South Africans while continuing to monitor the situation”.
Details on how many people died in the attack are still scarce, but there were reports of several people missing after insurgents attacked the Amarula Lodge Hotel, where expatriates were sheltering.
A photo was posted on Twitter on Friday of someone spelling SOS, an apparent desperate plea for help, on the hotel lawn with what appeared to be white stones.
It is not yet clear what the motives are for the attack, which coincided with the resumption on Wednesday of operations at the new Total liquefied natural gas plant in Afungi, near Palma.
Sources said the attack was meticulously planned days in advance and could have been prevented.
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