The South African government has blamed truck drivers for the congestion at the Beitbridge Border Post which has seen traffic backed up all the way to Musina, about 14 kilometres from the border post.
Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi said most truck drivers do not have the documentation required to cross the border and are, therefore, blocking all other travellers who are ready to cross with the relevant documentation. He said:
If you go to Beitbridge now, our people are idling there at the border because the theatre of war is not at the border with customs or Home Affairs.
It’s on the road where the truckers have blocked while they don’t have documents to pass through. Take them back to Musina, let the truck drivers do administration.
They are in the holding areas. Then they will leave the road free. Then all the other pedestrians will not find the congestion.
If the truck drivers were playing the game by the rules, we wouldn’t be having this congestion that is there.
However, Chairperson of the Beitbridge Transport and Clearing Agency Association, Eugene Khoza, believes the situation would have been better if the border was operating on a 24-hour basis
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