The chronic traffic congestion at Beitbridge border post has been cleared, says the department of home affairs.

This followed calls by the transport and freight industries for urgent intervention after reports of people dying in queues that stretched for kilometres at the border post. The backlog was attributed to the enforcement of strict Covid-19 health checks.

“The department of home affairs wishes to announce that congestion at Beitbridge border post has been cleared and traffic has returned to normal,” the department said in  a statement on Saturday evening.

“All lanes around the border have been cleared and the border has been easily accessible from the afternoon of December 24 2020. This means that all travellers through Beitbridge have been processed and cleared.”

The department said the congestion was tackled through co-operation with various government departments.

“The department of home affairs worked with the department of health, the SA National Defence Force, the SA Police Service, the SA Revenue Service and the Limpopo provincial government to resolve the impasse that had led to traffic congestion at Beitbridge.

“The Musina local municipality provided additional holding areas which enabled vehicles going to the border to be released to travel in manageable numbers. The municipality also provided ablution facilities and water along the route from the town of Musina to the port of entry. Travellers are urged to continue observing traffic and immigration laws as well as health protocols in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.”

TimesLIVE