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305 000 cross Beitbridge border in August

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305 000 cross Beitbridge border in August

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ELLEN MLAMBO

TWO NATIONS REPORTER

BEITBRIDGE ñ Some 305 168 people went through Beitbridge in August as business at Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) busiest border post continues to rise post the COVID-19 pandemic.

The figure increased by 12% from 272 365 in July 2022, according to Assistant Regional Immigration Officer (ARIO) in charge of Beitbridge, Nqobile Ncube. The figure for August is 5.5 times higher than that for August 2021 when only 53 750 went through the border.

The number of people who leave the country continues to be slightly higher than those who come in. Some 147 375 people entered Zimbabwe in August this year while 157 793 left through the same border.

He said that the increase in movement at Beitbridge started in January but there was a big leap in July when South Africa lifted all COVID-19 restrictions including COVID-19 vaccination cards and PCR tests. Zimbabwe however still requires a vaccination card or PCR test to those entering the country.

“We are noticing a lot of people using e-passports, this has also significantly contributed to the increase in movement,” added Ncube.

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