As a food crisis looms in Zimbabwe, thousands of its people are illegally crossing the Beitbridge Border daily to purchase foodstuffs in the nearby town of Musina, Limpopo.
South African drivers, without work due to the Covid-19 lockdown, have taken to transporting goods from Musina to waiting Zimbabweans along the border.Richard*, one driver, said he makes an average R7,000 daily by transporting goods to waiting smugglers along the border.
"I'm loading over here, carrying the things, jumping them through the border. We get something because there's no work. These people pay better than our real jobs," he said. Loaded cars and pickup trucks are a common sight on roads leading to the border fence, each one carrying a load worth around R50,000 on average, according to Richard.
"The situation in Zimbabwe is very bad. These people are even buying mealie meal here. They are buying sugar, chicken, all for their children to survive," he said. A local farmer, Izak Nel, described the recent situation at the border as"chaos". Nel said 40 to 60 cars could be found on the border road daily.
Soldiers have, however, increased their presence on Nel's side of the fence, resulting in less smuggling on the western side. A final report on the construction of the fence is expected to be handed to the public works department soon. According to a source close to investigations,"the report makes adverse findings on the planning and execution of the project, which constitutes irregular expenditure”.
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