Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The movement of travellers through Beitbridge Border Post has returned to normal levels of between 10 000 and 12 000 travellers daily after border officials managed to clear the peak of incoming traffic over the past seven days.
In the last seven days, authorities were clearing an average of 18 300 travellers, with the bulk of 15 000 being arrivals.
Border authorities from South Africa and Zimbabwe are implementing a harmonised traffic processing plan between 10 December and 15 January to minimise delays in the movement of travellers across the border.
By mid-morning on Christmas Day, a few travellers were seen at the border, with huge volumes being recorded on incoming commercial traffic.
The Assistant Regional Immigration Officer-in-Charge of Beitbridge, Mrs Canisia Magaya, said on Christmas Eve they processed a total of 11 809 travellers arriving into the country.
She said among these, 9 102 were Zimbabwean returning residents, while 1 308 were transiting through Zimbabwe.
On the same day, a total of 2 297 left the country via the same port of entry.
Authorities are expecting southbound traffic to surge after New Year’s Day.
derick.khumalo