The refusal by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) staff at Beitbridge to handle bus passengers yesterday saw 366 Zimbabweans returning from South Africa in 12 buses stranded at Beitbridge Border Post, although they had already been cleared for re-entry by the Department of Immigration.
Government clarified last month that Zimbabweans may now
return from South Africa via Beitbridge without having to seek authorisation
from the Zimbabwean embassy or the South African government.
South Africa opened 18 of its 35 land borders to passenger
traffic on 1 October and Zimbabwe will gradually open its borders to passenger
traffic, mainly motorists in private vehicles and pedestrians.
At the moment, only Zimbabweans based in South Africa and
those foreigners with valid residents or workers permits are allowed entry into
the country, while South Africans and Zimbabweans who are holders of the
neighbouring country’s permits are allowed to exit.
By end of the day yesterday, the travellers, mostly women
with young children, had become restless, having arrived at the border post at
8am.
According to one border official, the travellers were
cleared by the Department of Immigration to enter the country, but hit a brick
wall at Zimra.
“By 10am, they had all completed immigration formalities
and the delays are only at Zimra where they were told that the customs
officials were not clearing travellers in buses as yet,” said the official.
Mai Panashe of Harare said they were having challenges with
Zimra officials.
“We arrived here in the morning and were cleared by the
immigration officers,” she said. “Now our challenge is with Zimra who are
saying we should return to South Africa since they are not processing arrivals
in buses. This is very unfair. How can they deny us entry into our own
country?”
Most of the travellers said they were returning home after
having been stuck in South Africa since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of
Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube was not available for comment yesterday, while
Zimra’s head of communications, Mr Francis Chimanda, said he was yet to get
full details on the situation obtaining at Beitbridge.
Before the lockdown in April, a total of 600 000 travellers
would use Beitbridge monthly in both directions.
The figure is likely to increase after December 1 when more
people travel considering that it is a transit port for those from Malawi,
Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Plumtree, Victoria Falls, Chirundu, Nyamapanda and Forbes
are some of the borders which will be re-opened in a phased programme next
month. Herald
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