JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
For the past month, travel into and out of South Africa through these border posts were limited to only a number of reasons – including the transportation of fuel, cargo and goods as well as emergency medical treatment.
A host of new interventions are
being implemented to prevent the chaos witnessed over the festive period,
including that trucks will be limited to a 700-metre queue. As soon as the
queues become longer than that, trucks will be diverted to rest stops.
More staff have also been
deployed and a ticket system adopted to limit the number of Covid-19 tests that
can be done at the border posts.
In addition, the reopening plan
includes a crackdown on fake Covid-19 test certificates.
Any person presenting themselves
at any of the borders with fake Covid-19 certificates will be denied entry and
barred from visiting South Africa for a period of at least five years, said
Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in a statement on Saturday.
Travel regulations require all
persons entering South Africa from abroad – whether via land or air – to
present a negative Covid-19 test result, and a number of fake tests results
have been seized at the borders.
Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights
(ZDHR) have advised the government not to open land borders with SA when it
reviews the current lockdown.
“The aim of these engagements was
to share plans and ensure seamless movement of travellers and goods to minimise
the chances of border crossings being super-spreader events.”
Motsoaledi said anyone arriving
at a border with a faked Covid-19 test result would be turned back and barred
from SA for at least five years.
“We appeal to travellers to
ensure that they have all the requisite travel documents, including valid
Covid-19 tests, when they present themselves to officials at our borders,” he
said.
“Truck drivers should adhere to laws, regulations and agreements in place in the border area. This will go a long way in minimising congestion.”
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