'Beitbridge one-stop border post soon'

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday said his government is committed to speeding up processes towards the setting up of a one-stop border post with South Africa at Beitbridge.

Mphoko made the remarks during a visit to assess the state of Beitbridge Border Post on Friday last week.

He said the chaotic situation obtaining at the border post, the busiest port in southern Africa, had increased opportunities for corruption and unnecessary delays of cargo movement and tourist arrivals.

Mphoko said under the proposed new order, travellers will be cleared once for passage into either country.

At the moment, people travelling to South Africa queue for clearance on the Zimbabwean side and go through the same process to enter South Africa and vice-versa.

Mphoko said the rationale behind the concept of a one-stop border post was to put in place physical facilities, systems and processes that improve the ability of the two countries to perform joint border controls.

He said the delays at the Beitbridge border post had seen other countries in the Sadc region, Zambia, Malawi and the DRC in particular looking at the possibility of opening up another border post in the Nakala area of Mozambique.

He said Zimbabwe risked losing a lot of potential revenue in the event the Nakala concept succeeded.