News / Regional
More travellers at Beitbridge border post
22 Dec 2011 at 20:09hrs | Views
Human and vehicular traffic increased at Beitbridge border post on Thursday as more Zimbabweans based in South Africa start arriving for the festive season.
The clearance of travellers has greatly improved after government intervened this week and enforced recommendations made last year for the smooth movement of traffic.
Traffic started increasing at the border post over the weekend and peaked on Tuesday night after the annual shut down of most companies in South Africa.
Statistics were not readily available from immigration, but many people were seen arriving in droves.
The Department of Immigration indicated that a total of 48 011 people entered the country between Friday night and Sunday, while 16 782 left over the same weekend.
An average of 4 000 people use the border per day and the number rises to 25 000 during peak times.
Most of the travellers told The Herald that they were happy with the way things were being handled at the border as compared to the previous holidays, where passing through Beitbridge had become a nightmare.
"I would like to commend the Government for coming to our rescue, things were really bad here in the previous holidays," said Bhekani Mpofu who was heading for Bulawayo.
"I am happy today that traffic has been separated into various categories and that I spent less than an hour to get cleared by both the Department of Immigration and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
"I have been using this border for the past 10 years and it has been always a nightmare for me."
Between last Friday and Sunday, it would take more than eight hours for one to get cleared by both Zimra and immigration.
Following the congestion at the border post, Co-Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi and Finance Minister Tendai Biti toured the border on Monday morning and ensured that order must prevail.
The Department of Immigration also employed the tagging systems for buses which has proved to be effective.
Zimra has deployed 45 more officers from less busy stations, while the Department of Immigration received an additional 15 workers to assist with the clearance of travellers.
Congestion at the border post had mainly been attributed to manpower shortages.
The Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of southern region, Mr Charles Gwede, said they had collapsed their four shifts into two, which were operating on 12 hours basis.
He said that they had taken a leaf from the clearance system they used during the just ended Zion Christian Church regional conference that was held in Bulawayo and attracted more than 35 000 parishioners from South Africa.
Mr Gwede said they would continue to review the situation by each day as the volume of traffic increases.
The clearance of travellers has greatly improved after government intervened this week and enforced recommendations made last year for the smooth movement of traffic.
Traffic started increasing at the border post over the weekend and peaked on Tuesday night after the annual shut down of most companies in South Africa.
Statistics were not readily available from immigration, but many people were seen arriving in droves.
The Department of Immigration indicated that a total of 48 011 people entered the country between Friday night and Sunday, while 16 782 left over the same weekend.
An average of 4 000 people use the border per day and the number rises to 25 000 during peak times.
Most of the travellers told The Herald that they were happy with the way things were being handled at the border as compared to the previous holidays, where passing through Beitbridge had become a nightmare.
"I would like to commend the Government for coming to our rescue, things were really bad here in the previous holidays," said Bhekani Mpofu who was heading for Bulawayo.
"I am happy today that traffic has been separated into various categories and that I spent less than an hour to get cleared by both the Department of Immigration and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
"I have been using this border for the past 10 years and it has been always a nightmare for me."
Between last Friday and Sunday, it would take more than eight hours for one to get cleared by both Zimra and immigration.
Following the congestion at the border post, Co-Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi and Finance Minister Tendai Biti toured the border on Monday morning and ensured that order must prevail.
The Department of Immigration also employed the tagging systems for buses which has proved to be effective.
Zimra has deployed 45 more officers from less busy stations, while the Department of Immigration received an additional 15 workers to assist with the clearance of travellers.
Congestion at the border post had mainly been attributed to manpower shortages.
The Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of southern region, Mr Charles Gwede, said they had collapsed their four shifts into two, which were operating on 12 hours basis.
He said that they had taken a leaf from the clearance system they used during the just ended Zion Christian Church regional conference that was held in Bulawayo and attracted more than 35 000 parishioners from South Africa.
Mr Gwede said they would continue to review the situation by each day as the volume of traffic increases.
Source - TH
