A major fault on South Africa’s water supply line resulting in the pile-up of commercial cargo has forced a temporary closure of its side of the Beitbridge border.
The water crisis saw the border running without water in the last 24 hours and only skeletal number of workers manning strategic points.
Until the closure, about 1200 commercial trucks are crossing the border daily. Long-distance trucks heading to either Zimbabwe or South Africa were piling up in truck stops and major highways.
In an announcement issued to inter-border management committee members by South Africa Revenues Services (SARS) senior manager at Beitbridge Florah Maluleke, there is an ongoing effort to restore normal water supply services.
“Please note that we have no running water since yesterday, and PMC has resolved to close the Port due to the prevailing health hazards associated with this.
The Port will close at 18h00, to allow the new pump to fill up the reservoir and reopen 0600hrs tomorrow morning. The RAMP Contractor is continuing work on resolving the problem,” she said.
Last year the border was closed for 24 hours at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic when several SARS officials tested positive. This is the second time the border has been temporarily closed in the last 12 months. Health officials had to close the port to carry out massive disinfection.