WATCH: Borders reopen on low note…Travellers undergo strict health guidelines Regional immigration officer-in-charge of the Western region Mr Regis Munyaradzi assists a returning resident from Botswana at Plumtree Border Post yesterday

Chronicle Reporters
THE country’s main ports of entry officially reopened to private passenger vehicles and pedestrians yesterday albeit with low activity.

The travellers were undergoing strict Covid-19 health regulations which saw some of them being turned away for failing to meet the requirements such as producing Covid-19 negative certificates.

Zimbabwe closed its borders to general human traffic in March when President Mnangagwa announced the first 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Cabinet last month announced a phased reopening of land borders, starting with the country’s main ports of entry — Beitbridge, Plumtree, Victoria Falls, Chirundu, Nyamapanda and Forbes.

All the borders officially opened at 6am yesterday and closed at 6pm.

The closure of borders, particularly Beitbridge Border Post, the busiest inland port of entry in sub-Saharan Africa that is shared by Zimbabwe and South Africa, affected mostly Zimbabweans who relied on cross-border travel.

The reopening of the land borders was largely characterised by low activity, which officials attributed to high Covid-19 testing fees being charged by most laboratories. Most laboratories charge between US$50 and US$60 for a single Covid-19 test.

Officials at the borders were yesterday very thorough in their Covid-19 screening on all persons leaving and entering the country.

In Beitbridge, Zimbabwe and South Africa have started working on a plan to handle increased human traffic that is expected to pass through this week.

Officials said the move was informed by the events of yesterday when the volume of traffic was relatively low for the better part of the morning before the volume increased as the day progressed when news started filtering that the land borders had officially opened.

Activity at the border was very low at Beitbridge yesterday with only 200 people who fall outside the commercial traffic passing through the port of entry between 6am and 8am.

The people were very careful this time round after they were turned away at the same port of entry when South Africa reopened its borders to passenger traffic on 1 October without prior consultation with Zimbabwe.

Security has been tightened at all exit and entry points to the border where many people without valid or without documents at all were being turned away.

Traffic has been separated into heavy-duty vehicles, light commercial, light vehicles, buses and pedestrians.
Hand washing basins and footbaths and automated thermometers have been put at most buildings’ entrances.

The Assistant Regional Immigration officer-in-charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube said they were liaising with all the inter-border agencies to maintain a seamless passage for travellers under the new normal.

“I would like to think that many people wanted to make sure we are officially opened before they may start acquiring the certificates with a 48-hour validity.

We are hearing news from other towns that people are planning to travel from tomorrow going forward and we have been liaising with our colleagues in South Africa to ensure we are not found wanting,” he said.

Before the start of the lockdown in March, half-a- million people would use the port of entry to access South Africa and Zimbabwe daily.

In Plumtree, the numbers of travellers on both exit and entry points also slightly increased as the day progressed. Official statistics show that 53 travellers entered the country from Botswana while 35 people exited the country through the same border before the close of business at 6pm.

On the commercial side, a total of 44 truck drivers exited the country while 28 entered the country through Plumtree.

Regional immigration officer in charge of the Western region Mr Regis Munyaradzi said they anticipated the numbers to increase in the next few days.

He said in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) health regulations, all travellers entering and leaving the country were first subjected to screening at the health port before producing Covid-19 certificates.

Chronicle news crew observed that travellers complied with the health regulations and protocols.

Mr Munyaradzi said there were no challenges encountered yesterday as travellers were being cleared smoothly.

“It is clear that people are still sceptical since we’ve just reopened. As immigration we held a meeting with our Botswana counterparts to harmonise our operations.”

In Victoria Falls, scores of pedestrians, especially Zambian hawkers were turned away for failing to produce valid passports and Covid-19 certificates. Most of them were selling clothes and shoes. Metered taxis from Zambia could be seen commuting between the Zimbabwean and Zambian side of the border in anticipation of getting passengers.

There were scores of touts between the Zimbabwe border and bridge where they usually mill around waiting for border jumpers and smugglers who they help to illegally cross through the bush.

Security personnel were stopping and searching haulage trucks at the bridge to check for illegal travellers.

Acting Hwange District Medical Officer Dr Fungai Musinami-Mvura said necessary Covid-19 health protocols were being adhered to at the border.

A sanitiser booth was also placed at the entrance of the Rainforest. Officials at the Rainforest said a few international tourists visited the tourist attraction from Livingstone.

Last week, Chief Co-ordinator for the National Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva said Government has stepped up efforts to ensure that all the necessary public health measures were put in place at the country’s land borders ahead of reopening yesterday.

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