More Zimbabweans flood border post to SA

  1. Posted on Monday 18 May 2009 - 11:35
    bruce
    Bruce Sibanda,AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
    Zimbabweans traveling to neighboring South Africa have increased since the scrapping off of restrictive Visa's from 3 000 per day to 7 000. Immigration officials at Beitbridge Border Post at the weekend said the number of locals who visit South Africa was swelling daily.
    Zimbabwe_map
    South Africa removed visa requirements and introduced 90-day visitors permit two weeks ago.

    South Africa used to demand 2 000 rand (about $231) for a visa application, a move that barred many from travelling to that country.

    But the influx has bought problems at the busy entry point. Traffic jams have increased.

    At the weekend Custom and immigration officials at the post complained about being short-staffed to handle searches of all vehicles in line with strict check-up procedures ordered by the new government.

    Emotions were fraying as uncooperative, angry and delayed motorists clashed with customs officials, compounding the border crisis.

    The latest strict check-up procedures were reportedly sanctioned by Finance minister Tendai Biti in a fresh bid to boost revenue collection by tax collector Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) to bankroll the bankrupt administration.

    On Friday buses, trucks and vehicles queued for almost four kilometres from the entrance of the Beitbridge Border Post.

    The shortage of staff to search the mammoth number of vehicles at the border had seen the border clogging with motorists as customs struggled to keep up with the volume of traffic of Zimbabweans crossing the border, many of them taking advantage of the waiver on visas.

    Immigration officials said they were also overwhelmed by Zimbabweans who were attempting to cross into South Africa using identity cards.

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