ADVERTISEMENT:

 

 
 

Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya (far left) on a walkabout at Beitbridge Border Post on Friday, 26 November. With her are members of the Limpopo security cluster. Photo supplied.

MEC says they are ready for festive season border traffic

Date: 02 December 2021 By: Bernard Chiguvare

The time of the year when high volumes of people prepare to return to their home countries through the Beitbridge Border Post has come around again. Traffic is known to stretch for kilometres from the border to Musina over the December holidays, while crime escalates considerably.

Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya, however, says that they are prepared for these challenges. “There is no resource that has ever been enough to deal with crime. Whatever resources are at our disposal we will use to fight whatever crime, particularly at the borders,” she said at a high-level meeting held on Friday, 26 November, at Musina Municipality.

According to a report issued by the department, Limpopo Police Commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, as well as members of the security cluster, and border management teams already have operational plans in place to improve and eradicate some of the challenges faced during the festive period.

To monitor compliance and assist in the reduction of long queues at the border, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, the South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) and Road Management Traffic Corporation (RMTC) will have a strong presence. Special attention will be given to trucks to improve the turn-around time and hours spent on the road.

Musina Mayor Nkhanedzeni Godfrey Mawela applauded these plans as he felt they would bring sanity to Musina during the festive period. “We are highly confident that the town will be one of the safest places for shopping,” said Mawela.

According to a report by BusinessTech, published on 24 November, South Africa will launch a border management authority (BMA), a state-owned entity, in 2022. The role of the BMA will be to act as a single entity that manages the movement of people and goods across the country’s borders. It will also act as a type of law-enforcement agency, as it aims to clamp down on fraud, corruption, and other illegal activities.

 

 
 
 

Viewed: 740

 

 
 

Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

 
 

More photos... 

ADVERTISEMENT

 
 

ADVERTISEMENT:

 
 

ADVERTISEMENT