News / National
Beitbridge border post - ALERT - noticeable improvement
16 Dec 2014 at 10:12hrs | Views
YESTERDAY and today has seen a marked improvement in travelling through the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe after delays were experienced due to industrial action by South African home affairs officials.
The South African government yesterday beefed up its staff at the Beitbridge Border Post to cope with the increased volume of travellers expected to use the port where up to 30 000 people are said to have passed through daily since the beginning of the month.
According to a statement on the SA Home Affairs ministry website, 47 auxiliary staff were deployed at the border to complement 106 officers. Some of those deployed were from the anti-corruption unit.
In the last few days, SA customs officials were said to have embarked on a go-slow on the South African side of the border.
Two sources at the border post said that a go-slow by home affairs staff was delaying travellers by up to five hours.
The go-slow started last week and border staff were taking three times longer than usual to process passports and permits.
A Zimbabwean immigration official, who asked not to be named, said the go-slow started last week and South African customs officials indicated to them that they have embarked on a go-slow.
"The delays are on South African side of the border, specifically at the home affairs department. It is taking up to five hours for a passport to be stamped ," the official said.
The South African government yesterday beefed up its staff at the Beitbridge Border Post to cope with the increased volume of travellers expected to use the port where up to 30 000 people are said to have passed through daily since the beginning of the month.
According to a statement on the SA Home Affairs ministry website, 47 auxiliary staff were deployed at the border to complement 106 officers. Some of those deployed were from the anti-corruption unit.
In the last few days, SA customs officials were said to have embarked on a go-slow on the South African side of the border.
Two sources at the border post said that a go-slow by home affairs staff was delaying travellers by up to five hours.
The go-slow started last week and border staff were taking three times longer than usual to process passports and permits.
A Zimbabwean immigration official, who asked not to be named, said the go-slow started last week and South African customs officials indicated to them that they have embarked on a go-slow.
"The delays are on South African side of the border, specifically at the home affairs department. It is taking up to five hours for a passport to be stamped ," the official said.
Source - Byo24News
