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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The Zimborders Consortium that is transforming the Beitbridge Border Post at a cost of US$300 million in partnership with the Government has said it is working on improving issues of public safety at the country’s busiest inland port of entry and exit.
This follows an incident where on Thursday a Pretoria-bound haulage truck carrying 26 tonnes of granite lost its brakes and rolled from the commercial terminal parking area before ploughing into the bus terminal.
The truck driver was processing his travelling documents at around 7pm when the incident occurred and no one was injured.
Zimborders Consortium general manager Mr Nqobile Ncube said they were now assessing the damage.
“We are still assessing the damage on the property and at the same time we are working on improving issues of public safety to ensure that incidents like these won’t recur,” he said.
“The vehicle has been towed away to the Vehicle Inspectorate Department for assessment pending further recommendations.”
The visibly shaken driver, Mr Genius Munetsi, said he was travelling from Mutawatawa to Pretoria.
He said he had not experienced any mechanical fault on the vehicle between Mutawatawa and the Beitbridge Border Post.
Mr Munetsi said he parked the vehicle on the south bound commercial parking area when he went to process his travel documents.
“When I arrived in the border area, I parked the vehicle facing east wards as usual with its hand brake on and went on to process my travelling documents in the Freight Terminal,” he said.
“On my way back, I heard some noise from the crowd and rushed to check.
“I went into a state of shock when I discovered that it was my truck that had rolled from the freight terminal to the bus terminal. My fear was that it could have injured or killed someone. I only cooled down after my customs clearing agent indicated that none had been injured or killed.”
Mr Munetsi said he then went to his truck and engaged authorities who then towed the vehicle away to the VID yard for further action.
When our news crew arrived at the border Zimborders Consortium workers were busy fixing one of the traffic control booms that had been extensively damaged during the incident.
Part of the parking bay at the bus terminal was partially damaged and officials from the Environmental Management Agency were working on cleaning up the oil spillages from the truck.
The fence separating the freight and bus terminals parking bay had also been damaged.
The Beitbridge Border Post is being transformed in a 17 and half year private public partnership (PPP) between Zimborders and the government.
The project is being done in three phases, which include the freight, bus and light vehicles terminal.
So far the freight and bus terminals have been opened and commissioned by President Mnangagwa, while the construction of the light vehicles terminal is underway and will open to traffic in December.
The modernisation initiative also has five major out of port works, including a fire station, a sewer oxidation dam, 220 staffing housing units, an animal plant and quarantine facility and a 11,4 mega litres reservoir.
All these are at various stages of construction.
Online Reporter