Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa has witnessed increased traffic volumes of haulage trucks since last week as truckers from across the region are evading stringent Covid-19 testing protocols in other jurisdictions, 263Chat Business has learnt.
The development has also raised questions over Zimbabwe’s testing protocols which appear to be more favourable among truckers.
Last week alone, a total of 6 243 trucks were cleared and passed through the country’s gateway to the south, translating to an average of 890 trucks per day- a 100 percent increase from the 2019 average of 345 trucks per day, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has noted in a latest statement.
“The increase has been largely attributed to the different Covid-19 testing protocols implemented by different countries in the region which has seen transporters diverting their trucks from some routes to and from South Africa and transiting through Zimbabwe resulting in the increase in flow of traffic through Beitbridge,”
“This has imposed unanticipated strain on both border infrastructure and human resources for Zimbabwe and neighboring country border stakeholders,” Zimra said.
Regional countries have put various Covid-19 testing protocols at entry and exit points since March when the rate of infections from the deadly virus spiked, leaving only transporters of critical supplies and returnees to gain passage.
The Beitbridge border post is Africa’s busiest inland port of entry as it provides gateway in and out of the continent’s most industrialised economy, South Africa.
Trucks coming north of the Zambezi river, as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia have since favoured the Zimbabwean route in transit to South Africa.
There is a deliberate avoidance of the Kazungula or Katima Mulilo routes into Botswana then through the Zeerust to get into South Africa due to stringent tests.
Nevertheless, in recent years haulage trucks traffic has not been as concentrated as currently is under Covid-19 at Beitbridge, raising fears of exposure to the pandemic given limited infrastructure at the border to sustain social distancing protocols.
“Zimra is working with regional counterparts in neighbouring countries to facilitate trade and travel,” the authority said in an interview
Zimra further stated that it has since introduced more queues,fast tracking of maize and other urgent food imports, fuel, explosive materials and empty trucks as part of interventions to ease congestion.
Zimbabwe recorded a spike in covid-19 cases in the past week with the figure now at 222, 29 recoveries and four deaths.
