Traffic flow at SA border improves

The flow of traffic at Beitbridge Border Post has considerably improved after South Africa’s Health Department temporarily waived the requirement for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 on arrival at the border.

Under the new order, which came into effect on December 24, the validity of Covid-19 clearance certificates for commercial truck drivers has been reviewed from 14 days to one month.

The latest reprieve is contained in a letter from the director-general of Health (South Africa), Dr Sabelo Sandile Buthelezi, and addressed to the director-general of Home Affairs, Dr Tommy Makhode.

“We have discussed the matter with the Minister of Health, and he has granted permission that the testing be waived for the truck drivers as requested,” said Dr Buthelezi.

“We will, however, be writing to the Department of Transport to assist us to get the road freight industry to ensure that they take the responsibility for the testing of their drivers before they undertake the road trips.”

He said it was critical for all stakeholders to ensure the spread of Covid-19 through border posts is curbed.

The mandatory screening and testing of all travellers including truck drivers entering South Africa had been attributed to congestion at Beitbridge Border Post, resulting in commercial truck drivers spending up to 10 days to cross.

Light vehicle motorists and ordinary travellers were spending more than 48 hours to leave or enter South Africa.

There are unconfirmed reports that about eight people have died at the border on the South African side due to dehydration and other causes after spending many days at the border.

South African police said the causes of deaths were yet to be ascertained, although one of the victims was confirmed to have succumbed to heart complications.

By the end of the day yesterday, movement of commercial traffic was gradually improving while that of light vehicles and pedestrians had returned to normal.

“Things are gradually returning to normal. After arriving on the South African border on Tuesday last week, most of us managed to cross into Zimbabwe today (yesterday).

“The army and other provincial leaders are now on the ground pushing traffic going either side of the border,” said a truck driver, Mr Tsikai Manyanga.

Another driver, Mr Wilford Ganya, said a new clearance system in being implemented where only trucks with complete customs documents are allowed to join the queue to the border.

“You will note that the congestion was emanating from the fact that every truck was joining the queue even when the customs clearance processes were pending.

“This then created chaos and hence authorities moved in to clear the mess,” said Mr Ganya.

A driver of a light motor vehicle arriving from South Africa, identified only as Chirandu said he had spent less than an hour to clear all the border formalities on both sides of the border.

Limpopo’s Department of Transport has already deployed a team led by the director of traffic and community safety, Mr Allen Matsila, to clean up the chaos at the border.

Assistant regional immigration officer-in-charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube, said the traffic flow had greatly improved and they were in constant touch with their South African counterparts to address bottlenecks as and when they arose.

“Our counterparts in South Africa have managed to unlock the traffic problems which they have been having,” he said.-herald.cl.zw