The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
With the country’s inland borders reopening for vaccinated travellers on Monday, business remained low this week at the usually busy Forbes Border Post as most travellers are either unaware of the development or failing to meet the requirements needed to travel, The Manica Post has learnt.
When The Manica Post visited the border late Wednesday afternoon, apart from truck drivers who have been operating throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, a handful of Zimbabwean travellers were on their way to Mozambique.
Immigration Officer for the Eastern Region, Mr Richard Tambandini said business is unbelievably low at Forbes Border Post since it reopened on Tuesday morning.
“We opened our gates to general travellers on Tuesday and the turn-out was very low. On the very day, only 19 travellers used Forbes Border Post, with seven returnees, two South Africans and two Australians entering the country. On the exit side, we only had eight travellers – four Zimbabweans, a Zambian and an Australian,” he said.
He said on a normal day, immigration officials serve thousands of people, with queues stretching for almost 200 metres.
“Before the Covid-19 lockdown, queues would stretch to the service station which is approximately 200m away from the door. Business is surprisingly very low. The numbers are not what we had anticipated when we heard that borders were now open.
“We do not know whether it is because people do not know that the borders have been opened or because they cannot meet the requirements. However, we are anticipating that as the week progresses, people will come in their numbers,” said Mr Tambandini.
He also said they are yet to encounter any challenges on the requirement for travellers to produce the required Covid-19 certificates.
Statutory Instrument 18 of 2022 states that returning residents and visitors are required to adhere to the recommended Covid-19 prevention measures and must have undergone a valid Covid-19 PCR test not more than 48 hours from the time of their departure for Zimbabwe.
Visitors who cannot present a valid negative PCR certificate shall be quarantined at their own expense for 10 days, while those found positive will be isolated.
The instrument further states that fully vaccinated returning residents and visitors who present a valid PCR certificate do not require to be quarantined.
Mr Tambandini said travellers entering and leaving the country are going through the health screening process as part of the Covid-19 World Health Organisation’s regulations.
Some of the well-known cross-border traders in Manicaland said they are not aware that the borders are now open for all travellers.
Ms Chiedza Mafangepi said the reopening of the borders was long overdue as she was losing a lot of money by paying runners to get her merchandise.
“I was not aware that the borders have reopened for us. It is good news for us as cutting off the runners will increase my profit margins. This will also curb smuggling which was now rampant along the border,” she said.
Another cross-border trader, Mr Chris Mapinga, said the Covid-19 certificate requirement is deterring him from crossing the border.
“As cross-border traders, we are praying that Government considers our plight and put Covid-19 testing facilities at the border posts for travellers to be tested there,” said Mr Mapinga.
PCR Covid-19 tests range between U$40 US$100 in the private laboratories dotted across the province.
