adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Reporter
BEITBRIDGE Border Post has between New Year’s Day and Thursday recorded a surge in the volume of traffic as travellers, mostly Zimbabweans based in South Africa, have started trooping back to the neighbouring country.Immigration authorities said there has been a sharp increase of south-bound traffic since New Year’s Day.
The assistant regional immigration manager in charge of border post, Charles Gwede said although traffic had increased the situation was still manageable. He said they were anticipating an influx of travellers by the weekend.
The volume of arrivals through Beitbridge border has increased compared to last year during the same period.
“We are still compiling statistics though we have started clearing more travellers on the departure side (south bound).
“We are very much equal to the task and we will continue to review progress by each passing day,” he said.
Gwede said in an effort to decongest the border, they would collapse four shifts into either two or three depending on the situation on the ground.
He said they had also separate traffic lanes into three categories where buses, private motorists and pedestrians were cleared separately.
Gwede said on average they cleared about 9,000 people daily with figures increasing to between 15,000 and 20,000 during peak time.
The department of immigration has as staff complement of 47 officers including support staff. However, an additional 15 officers from less busy stations were deployed to Beitbridge Border during the festive season.
“We have tightened security and let those who are involved in irregular migration be warned that their days are numbered. We have our own security guards and are also working with other stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of travellers,” said Gwede.
When Chronicle visited the border post on Thursday, travellers were being cleared faster as compared to last year when travellers would endure between two and three days at the border post waiting to be cleared.
Last year, queues of vehicles stretching for about 20km outside the border were witnessed with Zimbabwean authorities blaming their South African counterparts for delays in clearing traffic.
The chaos was however, arrested following the intervention of Home Affairs Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi who engaged his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor over the potentially volatile situation. Beitbridge is the busiest inland port of entry in sub-Saharan Africa.
Online Reporter