Cross-border Transporters Feel Lockdown Pinch

The indefinite lockdowns in Zimbabwe and South Africa have negatively impacted the omalayitsha (cross-border couriers) business, leaving them stranded and stressed.

A redundant cross-border transporter, Dennis Dube, popularly known as Ndlesto, told the Chronicle that he is finding it difficult to maintain his two homes, one in Zimbabwe, the other in South Africa. He said:

The pandemic has greatly affected us in every way as we do not have an alternative way to put food on the table.

As omalayitsha, we’re one group that due to the lockdown, has no Plan B at all.

We have two places where we’re paying rent (Zimbabwe and South Africa) and the landlords want their money without fail so it’s really stressful.

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Ndlesto also revealed that most omalayitsha are now at loggerheads with South African banks and he pleaded with the government to hire them in transporting essential cargo. He added:

The challenge we have now is that most of the cars that we use are owned by banks and we pay in instalments. But how does one pay for a car that isn’t even making money for them?

Our only hope is that the Government ropes us in to also transport essential cargo as we’re starving.

Some stranded omalayitsha have reportedly removed seats from their vehicles so as to ferry farm produce that includes watermelons to the market places in the city.

More: Chronicle