South Africa reopens borders previously closed due to flooding

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

SOUTH AFRICA will on Thursday reopen two of its land borders with Botswana which it closed recently due to flooding.

The closure of the border saw traffic diverting to Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge as transporters sought to expeditiously move cargo.

Most Sadc countries use Botswana and Zimbabwe as transit routes to move cargo from the Durban hub.

Beitbridge handles at least 1000 trucks daily while around 300 go via Botswana.

Border Management Authority (BMA), Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato announced the resumption of operations at the Groblersbridge and Stockpoort in a statement on Thursday.

“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. The Port Management Committee (PMC) has conducted a thorough inspection of key operational areas and is satisfied with the current conditions. As a result, Groblersbridge Port of Entry will officially resume operations today from 14h00. Meanwhile, operations at Stockpoort Port of Entry have already resumed this week,” he said.

The official said at the Bray Port of Entry, the Molopo River continues to flow due to persistent rains in the area, and port operations remain suspended.

He said the Port Management Committee’s assessment indicates that operations at Bray are expected to resume over the weekend, subject to further evaluations.

“The BMA, in collaboration with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), thanks all stakeholders for their patience and cooperation during this period. The safety of travellers and efficient border operations remain our priority, and we will continue to monitor the weather patterns closely,” he said.