A significant influx of travelers passing through the Beitbridge border post this weekend has highlighted persistent challenges with outdated South African infrastructure, even as authorities ramp up vehicle safety checks.
On Saturday alone, more than 22,000 people were processed at the busy border connecting South Africa and Zimbabwe. However, traveler experiences varied dramatically depending on which side of the border they were on.
Several travelers expressed frustration with lengthy processing times. One commuter noted, “In normal circumstances, we expect this thing to be done in at maximum a period of 3 hours we should be done. But I don’t know why there’s no one who’s addressing us.”
Another traveler, arriving from Zimbabwe, reported a stark contrast between the two sides: “From Zim side it was so good but when we arrived in South Africa side it was really tiring and raining and even now we don’t know what’s going on with long cues.”
Other travelers praised the efforts of officials despite the delays. “Regardless the cues, I think the immigration and the BMA and the police officers they are working very well to control the cues,” one said.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) addressed the disparity, arguing that a direct comparison is unfair. A BMA spokesperson explained that Zimbabwe has recently completed a major redevelopment of its side of the border.
“The other big challenge which is very much significant is the issue of the infrastructure layout,” the spokesperson said. “Sometimes the Zimbabweans compare us this side with the Zimbabwean side of Beitbridge. You will remember that they’ve already done their redesigning and their redevelopment that side… they already have separated areas of processing.”
The spokesperson indicated that South Africa aims to achieve similar efficiencies through a planned public-private partnership on its side.
Amid the congestion, law enforcement is conducting a parallel crackdown on road safety. Authorities are performing rigorous checks on the roadworthiness of buses and taxis transporting commuters.
“We do pick up that some of the buses and some of the taxis are still uncompliant and also unroadworthy,” the BMA spokesperson confirmed. “We do deal with those. Our presence in this space this weekend is also about ensuring that the vehicles that are coming back from holidays are respecting the rules of our roads.”
With the weekend travel period continuing, a further surge of returning travelers is anticipated to cross the border on Monday, putting continued pressure on the facility.