SA moves to clean border mess

SOUTH Africa's Health Department has with immediate effect temporarily waived the requirement for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival at Beitbridge Border Post, a move that has helped improve the flow of traffic between the neighbouring country and Zimbabwe.

Under the new order the validity of the Covid-19 clearance certificates for commercial truck drivers was 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 stakeholders to ensure that the transmission of the coronavirus through the borders is curbed, considering that the first case in South Africa was imported.

Among other things, the mandatory screening and testing for all travellers including truck drivers entering the South African border was cited among bottlenecks that resulted in travellers experiencing long delays. Truck drivers were prior to the latest move taking up to 10 days to cross into either country.

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

Five Zimbabweans died in long queues on the South African side of the border last week while waiting to be cleared out of that country.

Local police have said the causes of deaths were yet to be ascertained, although one of the victims had been confirmed to have had complications with his heart. The movement of commercial traffic was gradually improving while that of light motor vehicles and pedestrians had returned to normalcy yesterday.

"Things are gradually returning to normalcy. After arriving at 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 the move by the South African Health Department was a reprieve to most drivers.

"There is a new clearance system being implemented. Only trucks with complete customs documents are now 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 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 Mr Chirandu said he had spent less than one hour to clear border formalities on both sides of the port of entry.

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 congestion 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 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.