Activity increases at Beitbridge Border Post

Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau

ACTIVITY has increased at Beitbridge Border Post, with many Zimbabweans based in South Africa returning home for the Easter holidays that coincided with the country’s 45th Independence Day celebrations yesterday.

Already, border stakeholders from South Africa and Zimbabwe have deployed adequately and are implementing an integrated border efficiency plan that has seen the flow of both cargo and human traffic improving.

Statistics from the Department of Immigration show that an average of 14 000 travellers, inclusive of arrival and departures, are being cleared at the border post daily.

This is a relative increase from the usual 8 000 travellers.

Assistant Regional Immigration officer (Beitbridge), Mr Lucky Joe Matyora, yesterday said the situation was under control and that they were not taking issues of compliance with immigration laws lightly.

“The number of travellers using the border during this period is slightly increasing. As of Wednesday, we processed 8 460 entries and 5 602 travellers on exit, giving us a total of 14 062. This is an increase from the daily averages of 8 000,” he said.

He said service delivery had improved since traffic was permanently separated into buses, pedestrians, returning residents, commercial, and private motorists.

Mr Matyora said they have also adopted a zero tolerance to touts, conmen, wheeler dealers, vendors and other criminals who cause unnecessary congestion of human traffic within the border.

On the South African side of the border, the Border Management Authority said it will this week deploy its deputy commissioner Jane Thupana to oversee service delivery during the Easter period.

The BMA commissioner Dr Micheal Masiapato is also being deployed to Lebombo at the neighbouring country’s border with Mozambique during the same period.