Both the Beit Bridge Border Post in Musina and the Kranskop Toll Plaza near Bela Bela in Limpopo have recorded average volumes of traffic by Friday afternoon. Traffic volumes are however expected to pick up as the New Year approaches.
Traffic congestion is expected at the Beit Bridge Border post as scores of holiday makers return to the country from Zimbabwe. On Friday evening, some motorists spoke of less congestion on both sides.
“I am from Zimbabwe, Lusape, my journey today was very nice, there are authorities in Zimbabwe and there was no problem, we come smoothly… here in South Africa no problem again, then we are back home. I am going back to work; here we didn’t even take 20 minutes and Zimbabwe side less than 20 minutes.”
Border traffic volumes were exceedingly high last week as thousands crossed the border into Zimbabwe for Christmas. The Department of Home Affairs’ Stephen Van Neel says officials are ready to process the increasing number of people crossing the border.
“Well we expect a number of people who might return today, because some of the people only go for Christmas and want to be back in South Africa during the New Year – but our real numbers we are expecting will be from Tuesday onward because these are people that have been going to the neighbouring countries for both Christmas and New Year. We deployed staff for the first week of December so the numbers that we have deployed at our ports will remain until we are done with the festive season as well as when schools are open, ” said Van Neel.
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