The Department of Home Affairs on Christmas Eve has advised travellers between South Africa and Zimbabwe of the congestion being experienced at the Beitbridge border which is the busiest entry/exit land port in South Africa.
“The department of home affairs wishes to advise travellers who are transiting via Beitbridge today that there is congestion which is being resolved,” said Siya Qoza, spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele..
“The officials of the department have been advised by their counterparts in Zimbabwe that there are some delays in processing documents for vehicles and people moving through the border on their side which is causing congestion on our side.”
Qoza said the situation is improving and the two teams from the neighbouring countries are in constant contact on “measures to alleviate the situation”.
“Travellers are requested to exercise calm and to be vigilant and cautious. The department further appeals to travellers to carry their documents when they travel,” Qoza said.
“The department has dispatched its senior managers to Beit Bridge and other ports of entry, to monitor the flow of traffic through the borders and to facilitate solutions where challenges arise.”
Last week, Cwele had a tour at Beitbridge, which is at the border with Zimbabwe and is the gateway to the rest of Africa.
“I am happy with the operations I saw today [Thursday] at Beitbridge and I’m confident that the measures we have put in place will assist to ease travel for visitors using this port. We don’t want people to spend a lot of time here at the border whether they are departing or arriving,” said Cwele after his monitoring tour.
He expressed his pleasure with the co-operation among different state agencies operating at the port.
“We’ll continue to have increased capacity at this and all our other border posts until January 9. We appeal to travellers to ensure that they have all the relevant supporting documents which should be legible and recently certified,” said Cwele.
-African News Agency/ANA
