But during Motsoalediâs address, he said the statistical data was lacking.Â
According to the department, the number of travellers crossing the border dropped 27% when compared to December last year.Â
A total of 21 800 trucks crossed the Beitbridge border this December. Last year, 19 800 trucks passed through. And at the Groblersbrug border close to Botswana, which is usually used as an overflow area, 2 968 trucks passed through.Â
The overflow area and alternative to Beitbridge was further complicated due to a strict Covid-19 lockdown in Botswana. Motsoaledi said drivers had diverted from Groblersbrug to Beitbridge because they âcould not accept the waiting times in Botswanaâ – something he said the department could not have anticipated.Â
Hereâs how SA plans to solve the Beitbridge crisis â before a January traffic spike Dec 30, 2020, 02:16 PM
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Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi (Image: GCIS)
The South African government has responded to
calls for changes at the Beitbridge border post following weeks of chaos.
More health and home affairs officials, immigration
law enforcement officers, and mobile Covid-19 testing facilities will be
deployed at the crossing to Zimbabwe.
Blame for the festive season backlog should,
however, be placed on reckless truck drivers and freight associations,
according to home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
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Timeslive
THE delays at the Beitbridge border post in recent weeks, during which some people died, should never happen again, the Road Freight Association said on Monday.
The association said since the department of health removed a requirement for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 at Beitbridge, the queues of traffic had reduced significantly – from 20km long to less than 5km over the past three days.
Four truck drivers and a female bus passenger died during the congestion experienced at the border post between SA and Zimbabwe and there were numerous cases of drivers who collapsed due to heat and a lack of water while waiting to cross.
iAfrica 3 months ago 2 min read
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The delays at the Beitbridge border post over recent weeks, which resulted in the deaths of four truck drivers, a female bus passenger, as well as numerous cases of drivers collapsing from the heat and lack of water, should never happen again. And although queues at the border post have reduced significantly, the situation has not yet been fully resolved, warns the Road Freight Association (RFA).
Since the Department of Health removed the requirement for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 at Beitbridge, the queues have reduced significantly: from 20 kilometres to less than five kilometres over the past three days. “We are relieved that the queues are far shorter, but the crisis is not over yet,” says Gavin Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer of the RFA.
HEALTH DEPT BLAMED FOR DEATHS AT BEITBRIDGE By Christopher Moagi Beitbridge border post.
THE chaos at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe could have been avoided.
That is according to the Road Freight Association, which has blamed the health department for the delays.
“Since the department removed the requirement for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 at Beitbridge, the queues have been reduced significantly, from 20km to less than 5km, over the past three days,” said the association.
The association’s CEO, Gavin Kelly, said: “We’re relieved that the queues are far shorter, but the crisis isn’t over yet.