Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
South Africa will reopen two key land border posts with Botswana on Thursday after temporarily closing them due to flooding.
The closure of these ports had forced transporters to reroute cargo through Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge Border Post, thereby increasing traffic there.
Beitbridge, a major regional gateway, handles at least 1 000 trucks daily, while Botswana’s crossings typically accommodate around 300 trucks daily.
In a statement released on Thursday, South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato confirmed the resumption of operations at Groblersbridge and Stockpoort ports of entry.
“At Groblersbridge, water levels have completely subsided, and the ground has now dried sufficiently to support the weight of cargo trucks passing through the port,” reads the statement.
“The Port Management Committee (PMC) has thoroughly inspected key operational areas and is satisfied with the current conditions.
“As a result, Groblersbridge port of entry will officially resume operations today from 1400hrs. Operations at Stockpoort port of entry have already resumed.”
However, operations at Bray port of entry remain suspended due to continued high water levels in the Molopo River following persistent rains received in the area.
Dr Masiapato said assessments indicate that Bray is expected to reopen over the weekend, subject to further evaluations.
