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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE number of travellers who passed through Beitbridge Border Post since the beginning of the month to Christmas Day shot to 604 449 compared to 576 176 during the same period last year.
The regional immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Notius Tarisai said 6 010 travellers passed through the border on Christmas Day.
Last year on the same day only 2 623 people used the border.
“This year we handled an increased number of travellers between December 1 and Christmas Day. We assisted 604 449 travellers compared to 576 176 during the same period last year. On Christmas Day we handled 4 053 travellers who entered the country, and most of them were Zimbabweans working in South Africa who were returning home to spend Christmas with their families while 1 957 people left the country on the same day,” he said.
Mr Tarisai said on a normal day, the border handles between 7 000 and 10 000 people daily.
“During this time of the year, we usually get an increased number on the arrival side as Zimbabweans working in South Africa would be coming home for the holidays. Now that people are on holiday, we expect the border to be less busy until the beginning of January when most people return to work in SA,” he said.
When The Chronicle visited both the Zimbabwean and South African side of the border on Christmas Eve, there was a sharp increase in the movement of both human and vehicular traffic.
On the South African side the situation was chaotic as long winding queues of cars stretched along the N1 highway leading to the border.
Mr Tarisai said their festive operational period which started on 8 December, is ending on 15 January. He said during the period all leave and off days are suspended in order to increase staff on duty.
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