Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube, Zimpapers Reporter
PLUMTREE Border Post has started operating 24 hours a day to cater for the increased traffic as more Zimbabweans travel back home for Christmas and New Year holidays.
The Immigration Department has also rolled out an online Border Management System at Plumtree Border Post for visitors into the country, which enables them to complete immigration information from the comfort of their homes.
For those who do not have access to the Internet, the department has tablets that are Internet linked and they can complete the information upon arrival at the point of entry.
The intervention speeds up processing of traveller information, which gives a positive image of the country and improves the ease of doing business.
On Friday a number of foreign nationals were seen being cleared via the system at the border. Head of Immigration in the Western region, Mrs Memory Mugwagwa, said the Online Border Management System will improve the ease of doing business in the country.
The Western Region also covers Mphoengs and Mlambaphele Border Posts. Mrs Mugwagwa said they were working on having the system in the other ports of entry with hardware having been received at Maitengwe, Mphoengs and Mlambaphele, which also fall within the Western Region.
“To ensure de-congestion and seamless movement, Plumtree Border Post will be operating on 24 hour basis from 21 to 24 December 2025 and 03 January to 05 January 2026,” she said.
“To implement the above, we have beefed up our staff and suspended off days and vacation leave.”
Plumtree Border Post, which links the country to a number of SADC countries like Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, has also seen arrivals peak at 21 254 from December 10 to December 19 with 12 889 people being processed on the exit side.
During the same period last year the border post received 17 958 arrivals with 10 100 exiting the country.
Speaking on the Online Border Management System, Mrs Mugwagwa said the Department of Immigration has rolled out a robust Online Border Management System, which is vital for enhancing ease of doing business.
“The Online Platform has reduced the turn round time for a traveller being cleared. It used to take 3 minutes to clear a traveller but we are now doing it in a matter of seconds,” she said.
Mrs Mugwagwa urged visitors to the country to make use of the online platform to apply for visas and fill in immigration declaration forms.
She said the online form can be completed in the comfort of one’s home as it is accessible on the Zimbabwe Immigration website.
“At ports of entry and exit, the Department of Immigration has installed kiosk tablets for foreign nationals to fill out the immigration form. Smart gadgets can be used as well, using internet in the clearing halls.
“We will be rolling out the Online Border Management System at all other stations in January. We are in the installation phase at Mphoengs, Mlambaphele as we were finalising the structures, cubicles and roofing at Mphoengs Border had to be sorted. Mlambaphele office structure is being finalised,” she said.
Already Mphoengs Border Post has seen 2 924 enter the country between 10 to 19 December 2025 compared to 1 798 during the same period last year with 887 exits during the same period compared to 1 227.
