Some Zimbabweans happy with ‘improved’ services at Beitbridge Border Post

By SABC News

LIMPOPO: Some Zimbabwean nationals who came to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, Limpopo say they are satisfied that there is an improvement in services at the border. They say they did not spend much time on the queues like before.

Blessing Mathafi who is travelling from Harare to Johannesburg talks about his experience at the border post.

“Is a bit busy even the traffic along the way even at the border it was a bit busy, everything is normal,” he said.

“They are trying by all means to clear the queues so that they won’t take long in both sides Zimbabwe and South Africa. Truly speaking, this time they are working hard than they used to do all those years before now. We can feel we are being welcomed here in South Africa despite the situation in our country.”

Another Zimbabwean national, Lazarus Mongwadzi, is travelling from Harare to Durban. Mongwadzi is concerned that his bus was stopped 17 times within a distance of 350 kilometres after getting into South Africa.

“After we have crossed the border, while there is police presence on the road to actually make us feel safe, it is a little bit too much because from Beit Bridge to here Nyl Plaza toll gate, we have been stopped a whooping 17 times which is extremely is a bit too much.

“The traffic at the Zimbabwean side I think they were more prepared; we did not spend much time on the Zimbabwean side unlike in the counterpart South African side.”

Some motorists say traffic has been moving smoothly as there is no congestion.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) says more than 100 000 people have crossed into the country through the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, since the start of the new year. BMA Commissioner, Dr Mike Masiapato, says they have also intercepted more than 400 illegal immigrants in the last six days.