The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
HUMAN traffic has significantly increased between Mutare and Mozambique, resulting in the proliferation of fake Covid-19 certificates and the use of illegal crossing points as people avoid paying for the certificates and excise duty for their imports, The Manica Post has established.
Following the reopening of borders to private motorists and pedestrians on December 1, significant volumes of people crossing either into Mozambique or Zimbabwe have been recorded at Forbes Border Post.
However, the move is being blamed for the spike in Covid-19 cases, prompting Manicaland to put in place strategies to manage the spread of the pandemic.
While volumes were low during the first week, with only 145 people passing through Forbes between December 1 and December 3, the numbers have risen significantly over the past two weeks to reach 3 205 as at week ending December 12.
Manicaland Provincial Medical Director Dr Simon Nyadundu said the province was still reporting new Covid-19 cases and strict management of the increasing volumes at the port of entry would help to minimise the spread.
“Covid-19 is still here with us so we still need to do all we can to prevent it from spreading. In terms of the increased number of people coming through Forbes Border Post, we have put in place measures to ensure all health care workers and officers from other departments who are responsible for handling immigrants are well equipped to deal with the situation.
“We also have partners who are operating at the border, so we should be able to manage the increased influx of people,” he said.
Dr Nyadundu said nine fake Covid-19 certificates have so far been exposed by health officials at Forbes Border Post.
He said law enforcement agents were roped in and are working on the issue.
Dr Nyadundu said there was need to capacitate all border posts to be able to conduct rapid PCR testing so that they could timeously deal with travellers and avoid issues to do with fake Covid-19 certificates.
Under the new operating guidelines at the ports of entry, everyone entering and exiting the country is required to have a valid Covid-19 certificate. However, those crossing the border, especially traders, are complaining that a Covid-19 certificate is too expensive as they need to make numerous trips to and from Mozambique.
Some have resorted to smuggling their goods through illegal entry points. When The Manica Post visited the border post early this week, some people could be seen using footpaths in the bushy area near the border.
The province shares a 700km border with Mozambique. As at December 15, Dr Nyadundu said Manicaland had 637 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 561 recoveries and 30 deaths, bringing the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) to 4.7 percent.
The province has a recovery rate of 88 percent.
Although volumes at the border have increased, the majority of new infections recorded in the province have been local.
“Between December 10 and 15, Manicaland recorded 32 new cases, of which 31 were local transmissions while one case was that of a person who had come from Mozambique.
“Local cases were from Mutare (28), Makoni (one), Mutasa (one), Chimanimani (one) and one from Chitungwiza. The province recorded 20 recoveries and two deaths,” he said.
Dr Nyadundu said the province was prepared to offer quarantine services for returning residents at facilities identified as quarantine centres in March. He said 40 returnees who were at Vumba Quarantine Centre were discharged after PCR tests done on them came back negative.
“We already had quarantine centres identified in March and these are still available for us to use in the event that the number of returnees increases to more than what we can handle at one centre,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique, Ambassador Douglas Nyikayaramba, said the reopening of Forbes Border Post was critical in improving the flow of trade between the two countries, particularly small traders who rely on buying and selling groceries from the neighbouring country.
“The obvious advantage is the increased business flow between the two economies at individual and national levels.
“Individuals will be able to buy goods and services considered cheaper in Mozambique for resale and vice-versa. There will also be an increase in potential holiday makers and tourists to either side and this will lead to discovery of opportunities for business and investments,” said Ambassador Nyikayaramba.
