Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs visits Beitbridge Border Post

Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs Advocate Bongani Bongo says members are at the Beitbridge Border Post at Musina in Limpopo to assess the situation.

The purpose of the visit is to ensure that the border post is closed following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Monday.

Ramaphosa announced the closure of 20 border posts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address: 

Only a few people and trucks are crossing the border.

Zimbabwean nationals, who live in SA, are also allowed to go back home. But, those entering SA should have work permits and COVID-19 negative results.

“As the president has said yesterday that we are stopping this kind of arrangement, but as it relates to the business agreements and the trucks they are still allowed according to regulation. They will continue as normal, but the movement of people who want to come in and out has been stopped and we are here to make sure that the implementation of what the president has announced moves smoothly without any interruption.”

The situation was dire at the border post couple of days before: 

Bongo also says part of the solution to porous border fences and often congested border posts will be the construction of a One-Stop Border Post. Zimbabwe has already started the construction of a One-Stop Border Post.

He adds that plans are at an advanced stage for construction to start from the South African side of Beitbridge.

“Our observation of the area is that we need to have what we have already agreed to as a policy – the One-Stop Border Post. Two, we need to enrol the act that we have already passed as the parliament – Border Management Authority Act. The president has already signed a proclamation to implement that specific act.”

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs assesses  adherence  to lockdown regulations: 

Travellers are happy with the new arrangement.

“Now, the situation is coming alright, no long queues. They are doing things well. We are from Zimbabwe going to South Africa,” says one of the travellers.

Another traveller says, “The border is working. If you have permit everything is good. If you have a COVID-19 certificate everything is okay.”

Home Affairs Portfolio Committee members will visit the Lebombo Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique on Wednesday.