By Tuesday afternoon, the border was still closed. Taking into account lost labour, factory production and spoiled produce, the bill incurred by both sides, mainly Zimbabwe is several million dollars each day.
Not only did goods pile up on both sides of the Beitbridge crossing point, a consequent traffic jam formed.
Millions of dollars' worth of trade goes through that border. The authorities lost millions in duty and taxes.
The impact of the closure was particularly strong at the main overland border crossing point between Beitbridge in Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe and the Southern African side.
The closure affected almost everyone, stranded travellers, whether truck drivers, taxi drivers, market stall-holders, restaurant and guesthouse owners or traders. Cannisio Mudzumwe, the ZimRA spokesman declined to comment on how much the tax collector had lost from the border closure.
Official sources said the closure came as a decree from South Africa Immigration. South Africa said it was upgrading its IT system from 10pm on Monday until 2am on Tuesday and refused to countenance any explanations or pleas.
"We will not be processing travellers during this period,"read the Sept. 16 memo from SA Immigration to to the head of immigration at the Zimbabwe's Beitbridge border. "We are therefore requesting that you stop travellers from entering the border during this period until the process is finished.
"The last batch of travellers to be processed are those that would be inside the port of entry before 9pm tomorrow. We will not accept entry after 9pm as we will be finishing with those who will be inside the port of entry."
Minister of International Trade Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga was locked in meetings at the time of going to print.
But a government official said the two countries have signed all sorts of collective agreements towards free trade and SA's sudden action was unacceptable.
"They suddenly and arbitrarily decided to close the border," said an official in the ministry of International Trade.
"Border closure and flagrant flouting of zero tariff agreements as part of economic protectionism need to end if progress is ever going to be made to achieve the one-stop border," the official told The Zimbabwean this week, agreeing to speak on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. South Africa is reportedly dithering on an arrangement in which immigration and customs from both countries would be working at one point jointly clearing travellers and cargo bound for either direction.
Post published in: News