News / National
Beitbridge Border Post, the epicentre of graft
09 Sep 2020 at 03:16hrs | Views
Beitbridge border post ranks first as the busiest inland port of entry in the rest of Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zimbabwe, and Second busiest inland post of entry after Egypt's Taba.
The Taba Border Crossing also known as the Menachem Begin Crossing is an international border crossing between Taba, Egypt, and Eilat, Israel.
Mthwakazi Republic Party Matebeleland South Spokesperson Khethani Nxebalendonda Ndlovu said Beitbridge which is still inferred to be the busiest border in the region, which on a normal day collects revenue of over $2 000 000 USD translating to the South African equivalent of R35 000 000 ( Thirty - Five Million Rand) as of the current rates.
"The two million USD confirmation was even proclaimed by the then Vice President of Zimbabwe Phelekezela Mphoko in one of his tours to the Beitbridge town during the Robert Mugabe era where he lamented the levels of monopoly and control by ZIMRA at the border," he said.
"Situated in the South-Western side of Zimbabwe in Matebeleland South, Beitbridge becomes a strategic 24-hour cross-border link between Matebeleland and South Africa. About 80% of the economic activity in Matebeleland is reliant on that strategic link alongside Plumtree with Botswana."
Ndlovu said the marginalized region of Matebeleland's economic oxygen comes directly from South Africa dating as far back as one could remember.
"In the wake of the world COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent regulatory measures by various governments, this particular region has been the worst hard hit. All cross border business which is life to them ceased and no government intervention was in place," he said.
"As for the people of the region who by and large depend on private cross-border transporters, commonly referred to as "Omalayitsha", the blow was so severe. Only the big commercial truckers could be allowed to continue trading but under tremendous detriment."
He said in the tribally structured economy of Zimbabwe, Omalayitsha, and eventually, the entire region finds itself chocking under the weight of these politicized regulations where only the big mostly Shona business players who are connected to the border bosses continue trading.
"Mthwakazi Republic Party(MRP) has, of late been getting a lot of distress calls by people, mostly cross-border drivers from the Matebeleland region, coming from SA. When SA eased the lockdown rules to allow for trucks carrying essentials, many of our transport operators feeding our nation of Mthwakazi were trapped at the Zimbabwean side of the border where exorbitant demands making impossible for the informal businesses of Omalayitsha were literally imposed without any considerations," Ndlovu said.
"These businesses were left without an option but to dig into their pockets for bribes which now has become the business at the border. A funeral parlor driver from SA(name withheld) who arrived on Friday was still trapped yesterday the 8th of September. We received another distress call from 2 truckers bound for Victoria Falls who have been at the Zimbabwean side since Thursday last week."
He said the border security, CID, CIO, ARMY, ZIMRA, VID people have been taking turns fleecing them of cash and that sums up the life of a traveler from Matabeleland who has to endure raw tribalism within his own backyard.
"This has become a normal business since the introduction of ZIMRA under predominantly SHONA management and employees. Preceding this transition to ZIMRA management, there was a predominantly localized customs system. The bulk of its workforce was of local extracts. Also to note is, the time those of the locality of BEITBRIDGE(traders) with a "02" as ID initials were never required a passport to trade between Musina and Beitbridge until the ZIMRA Shona scheme was introduced," he said.
"In the past few days, Beitbridge's own son Kembo Mohadi who is the current second VICE PRESIDENT visited the border post. His visit which came as a relief for many distressed souls turned out to be nothing but a hallow, useless hiatus. The VP has failed to defend the region when it mattered the most. More than once he has failed to live up to his esteemed title."
Ndlovu said with the introduction of a Shona administration, all the local benefactors were put on ice.
"Our views regarding all this reveal the hallmarks of a TRIBAL, BULLY & INSENSITIVE state called "Zimbabwe", a State name whose mention and relevance has expanded a feeling of hostility by all people of Matabeleland. The economic power dynamics in that small border town have since shifted from the VENDA to the SHONA people. This can be seen from the land ownership patterns, business, and residential housing across the small town. It is now firmly under the control of the SHONA people, thanks to their milk cow, the Beitbridge border post," he said.
"Going forward, Mthwakazi Republic Party(MRP) invites all the disenfranchised, politically weakened people of BEIT-BRIDGE aka VESO-LAND, and the entire Matebeleland & Midlands regions to stand up in defense and the fortification of our economic and political space, a failure which will have us all perish in poverty and deprivation as fools."
The Taba Border Crossing also known as the Menachem Begin Crossing is an international border crossing between Taba, Egypt, and Eilat, Israel.
Mthwakazi Republic Party Matebeleland South Spokesperson Khethani Nxebalendonda Ndlovu said Beitbridge which is still inferred to be the busiest border in the region, which on a normal day collects revenue of over $2 000 000 USD translating to the South African equivalent of R35 000 000 ( Thirty - Five Million Rand) as of the current rates.
"The two million USD confirmation was even proclaimed by the then Vice President of Zimbabwe Phelekezela Mphoko in one of his tours to the Beitbridge town during the Robert Mugabe era where he lamented the levels of monopoly and control by ZIMRA at the border," he said.
"Situated in the South-Western side of Zimbabwe in Matebeleland South, Beitbridge becomes a strategic 24-hour cross-border link between Matebeleland and South Africa. About 80% of the economic activity in Matebeleland is reliant on that strategic link alongside Plumtree with Botswana."
Ndlovu said the marginalized region of Matebeleland's economic oxygen comes directly from South Africa dating as far back as one could remember.
"In the wake of the world COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent regulatory measures by various governments, this particular region has been the worst hard hit. All cross border business which is life to them ceased and no government intervention was in place," he said.
"As for the people of the region who by and large depend on private cross-border transporters, commonly referred to as "Omalayitsha", the blow was so severe. Only the big commercial truckers could be allowed to continue trading but under tremendous detriment."
"Mthwakazi Republic Party(MRP) has, of late been getting a lot of distress calls by people, mostly cross-border drivers from the Matebeleland region, coming from SA. When SA eased the lockdown rules to allow for trucks carrying essentials, many of our transport operators feeding our nation of Mthwakazi were trapped at the Zimbabwean side of the border where exorbitant demands making impossible for the informal businesses of Omalayitsha were literally imposed without any considerations," Ndlovu said.
"These businesses were left without an option but to dig into their pockets for bribes which now has become the business at the border. A funeral parlor driver from SA(name withheld) who arrived on Friday was still trapped yesterday the 8th of September. We received another distress call from 2 truckers bound for Victoria Falls who have been at the Zimbabwean side since Thursday last week."
He said the border security, CID, CIO, ARMY, ZIMRA, VID people have been taking turns fleecing them of cash and that sums up the life of a traveler from Matabeleland who has to endure raw tribalism within his own backyard.
"This has become a normal business since the introduction of ZIMRA under predominantly SHONA management and employees. Preceding this transition to ZIMRA management, there was a predominantly localized customs system. The bulk of its workforce was of local extracts. Also to note is, the time those of the locality of BEITBRIDGE(traders) with a "02" as ID initials were never required a passport to trade between Musina and Beitbridge until the ZIMRA Shona scheme was introduced," he said.
"In the past few days, Beitbridge's own son Kembo Mohadi who is the current second VICE PRESIDENT visited the border post. His visit which came as a relief for many distressed souls turned out to be nothing but a hallow, useless hiatus. The VP has failed to defend the region when it mattered the most. More than once he has failed to live up to his esteemed title."
Ndlovu said with the introduction of a Shona administration, all the local benefactors were put on ice.
"Our views regarding all this reveal the hallmarks of a TRIBAL, BULLY & INSENSITIVE state called "Zimbabwe", a State name whose mention and relevance has expanded a feeling of hostility by all people of Matabeleland. The economic power dynamics in that small border town have since shifted from the VENDA to the SHONA people. This can be seen from the land ownership patterns, business, and residential housing across the small town. It is now firmly under the control of the SHONA people, thanks to their milk cow, the Beitbridge border post," he said.
"Going forward, Mthwakazi Republic Party(MRP) invites all the disenfranchised, politically weakened people of BEIT-BRIDGE aka VESO-LAND, and the entire Matebeleland & Midlands regions to stand up in defense and the fortification of our economic and political space, a failure which will have us all perish in poverty and deprivation as fools."
Source - Byo24News
