Zimbabwe, SA border officials fail to agree on Beit Bridge festive delays

HARARE: Zimbabwean and South African immigration officials have sharply conflicting interpretations on what caused the chaos and long, uncomfortable delays travellers endured at the Beit Bridge border post over the festive season.

Kembo Mohadi, Zanu-PF home affairs minister in the inclusive government, blamed it on an unexpected surge of

‘I could only take 10 days off work and I spent 30 hours in a queue’

South Africans visiting his country and on under-staffing on the South African side.

South African officials attributed it mainly to Zimbabweans coming across in vast numbers, many to seek work, some just to shop – or even just to bath.

“I went there myself and I saw the registration numbers of the vehicles and they were South African cars,” Mohadi said. “They came to Victoria Falls and Kariba. And other places.

“Don’t tell me it was only Zimbabweans going across the border, there were also Zam- bians, and there are Zimbabweans who are legally working in South Africa.

“It became a health issue as people in the queues were forced to defecate in the bush near the border post.

“Once I spoke to the minister, (South African Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor) more staff were put on duty and the delays were cleared. We have suggested a second border post.”

But high-level sources on the South African side at Beit Bridge said that, on the heaviest days, Zimbabwean officials were letting Zimbabweans through without processing them and that this had complicated clearance on the South African side.

Mohadi said never be allowed.

South Africa’s deputy director of the Beit Bridge border post, Elvis Mavhunga, said yesterday that between 26 000 and 30 000 travellers had passed through the border on some days of the holiday period,

that would compared to about 15 000 a day the previous year.

“It was bad. And it is hot here. Some people come across the border (from Zimbabwe) to see the new mall in Musina. We also know that some Zimbabweans come across the border to get a bath and they tell us they just want to sit and rest.

“Then there are others without work permits who come looking for work, and they will then be illegal, and then there are the legal ones with work permits and there are many of them who went home for Christmas. This was the heaviest number of travellers going through Beit Bridge that I have ever seen.”

He agreed there was need for a second border post.

South African Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni said the infrastructure at Beit Bridge was inadequate.

He said there was probably a need for a bypass that would process commercial traffic and ease the passage of ordinary travellers.

He said that later this year the South African government would conclude vetting the 270 000 applications for work permits from Zimbabweans who were previously illegal in South Africa, and those who were unsuccessful would have to leave.

“I could only take 10 days off work, including travelling, and I spent more than 30 hours in a queue on my return. I have a work permit, so I am legal,” said a Zimbabwean freelance gardener.