Limpopo battles corona mad rush

Limpopo, South Africa’s northern gateway to Africa, was chaotic this week as travellers tried to cross the border in a desperate bid to beat the deadline signalling the start of the national lockdown, which came into effect at midnight on Thursday.

The rush resulted in chaos at the Beitbridge international border post on Friday, after it was closed at midnight – leading to a column of traffic stretching 5km and scores of restless travellers.

“We are waiting, hungry, with nothing to eat; the border has been closed,” said long-distance taxi driver Tau Sibanda, speaking on the phone from Beitbridge late on Friday.

The border was shut to avert the further spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The N1 north highway saw a significant rise in traffic volumes from Wednesday, two days after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the 21-day lockdown.

Sibanda had travelled for almost eight hours to reach the crossing, ferrying five passengers in his taxi. He was shocked to find the 5km stretch of traffic approaching the border.

On Friday, Limpopo’s department of transport said three Gauteng minibuses were impounded in Modimolle.

Department spokesperson Matome Moremi-Taueatsoala said they did not have operating licences. In addition, one of the vehicles was caught carrying 20 passengers in a 16-seater; the second vehicle – a 22-seater – was carrying 27 passengers; and the driver of the third vehicle, another 16-seater, did not have a permit.

Moremi-Taueatsoala said a driver of a sedan was arrested for drunk driving, having been found to be 0.83mg over the legal limit. The driver was also found carrying alcohol using a health department permit.

Provincial authorities staged a roadblock, scanning travellers along the N1 at the Mantsole Traffic Control Centre on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, the authorities recorded traffic flow averaging 1 000 vehicles passing through the checkpoint every hour.

The frantic rush came about despite calls by provincial health MEC Phophi Ramathuba that residents working in Gauteng and other provinces stay put and not use the lockdown as a homecoming holiday, but rather, as a way to help contain the deadly virus and prevent it from spreading.

“The reason we advised that you stay where you are is because we know that the majority of our people are vulnerable,” she said.

Meanwhile, at 11.35pm on Thursday, minutes before the Beitbridge border was closed, Sibanda had stopped to recharge at a petrol station in Polokwane. He still had more than 195km to drive to reach Beitbridge.

“The coronavirus has disrupted our lives. Look, I only have five passengers. It has never happened that I would drive with few passengers like this before,” said Sibanda, who had travelled from Johannesburg.

“We will be out of business for 21 days. I do not have any other source of income, but we have to comply,” he said.

He arrived at Beitbridge at 2.05am on Friday, two hours after its official closure.

“When I arrived, I was told that no cars were allowed to cross to the Zimbabwean side. It was chaos. Both lanes were closed with cars heading to Zimbabwe,” said Sibanda.

For years, he and dozens of other Zimbabweans have flooded into South Africa and returned to their home country in large numbers during Easter and the festive season.

However, this year’s mass migration back to Zimbabwe was triggered by the lockdown plans.

By Friday afternoon, a health crisis was looming along the road outside Musina as the stranded migrants remained there without food, water or ablution facilities.

“We are hungry. Shops are closed, and there are no toilets; we are just waiting and hoping that the port will be opened for us to pass through,” said Sibanda.

On Wednesday, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced that the border would only process cargo trucks during the lockdown.

In the provincial capital of Polokwane, hawkers and some businesses were counting the cost of the lockdown.

On Friday afternoon, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi intervened in the Beitbridge impasse and the border was reopened for a time. The minister said the aim of extending the border’s opening hours was to allow those wishing to return to their country to do so.

He also expressed concerns that denying Zimbabweans and people from other African countries the chance to leave South Africa would spell disaster for the border town of Musina. –Mukurukuru Media

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