'The numbers keep coming': BMA processed over 30 buses by midday as Beitbridge peak continues
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said on average authorities have been processing 25,000 travellers at Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe.
Image: The Herald Zimbabwe
The Border Management Authority (BMA) says it processed more than 30 buses by midday on Monday at the Beitbridge Border Post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, as post-festive travel volumes continued to surge.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika at the busy border on Monday afternoon, BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the number of travellers had already peaked for the day and could reach levels seen during the weekend rush.
“We are just counting the buses that are coming over. We have already processed over 30 buses since this morning. The others are actually still on the way. We keep on talking to the Zimbabwean side and they indicate the buses that are coming through.
“For now, on the queue on the Zimbabwean side we have been able to count around 15 buses that are still on the way to our side. Once they arrive here, we will definitely be able to process them. In terms of the numbers at this point, which is like midday, we are looking at around 15,000 or so (people) that have already been processed up to this point. We do the aggregated numbers over 24 hours, and we will give the proper statistics tomorrow.
“We had thought that since it was busy yesterday and the previous day, today we would be slowing down, but we see that the numbers still keep coming. The buses keep on coming, and the pedestrians also keep on coming. It looks like we might end up back to equating the number with an average, which is around 25,000,” he said.
The latest figures follow a hectic weekend at Beitbridge, where the BMA processed about 100 buses and more than 22,000 people on Sunday alone — the highest daily volume recorded so far during the post-festive travel period.
The border post, one of the busiest in southern Africa, services thousands of Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who live and work in South Africa. Large queues were recorded in late December as migrant communities returned home for the festive season, with the current surge driven by travellers heading back into South Africa.
Earlier, the BMA also warned travellers against bringing prohibited items such as fresh agricultural produce and unauthorised medicines into the country, saying items including mangoes, watermelons and skin-lightening creams were being confiscated and destroyed at the border.
Masiapato has warned that while volumes may fluctuate during the week, another significant surge is expected towards the weekend as cross-border movement continues.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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