25 May 2016

The director of Immigration and Citizenship Mr Mabuse Pule has informed residents of Mabolwe that the long anticipated border post between Botswana and Zimbabwe will be operational on June 1.

Speaking at the meeting to give residents progress report on Tuesday, Mr Pule told residents that the border has been gazetted as Mabolwe Border Post and it would be operational from 7am to 430pm.

At the meeting the director also showed the residents four staff members who have been posted to work at the border requesting residents to cooperate with them.

He encouraged residents to apply for passports to enable them to travel between the two countries saying those who use illegal entry points would be prosecuted.

Mr Pule said in the past they allowed travel documents but have since stopped them because they were being abused by some people but highlighted that they can be issued only in cases of emergency such as death, illness but there must be proof.

On the Zimbabwean side, developments were underway and the country has also assembled staff that would be working at the border but as for Botswana Unified Revenue Services as well as Zimbabwe Revenue Authority would start operations at a later stage, he said.

However he said a list of items not covered by customs duty would be released in due course.

As for security he said Botswana Police has posted seven officers to monitor the movement at the border while the Department of Veterinary Services has sent one officer to also monitor the situation since the area was a Foot and Mouth Disease zone.

The border he said was a seasonal border just like Point Drift and Zanzibar border posts that close during rainy season.

Earlier on, Kgosi Join Ngala of Mabolwe stated that the border would be one of the busiest since it was the shortest route linking the three countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Kgosi Ngala said those who have been using Ramokgwebana and Beitbridge in South Africa would soon turn their eye to Mabolwe Border Post since it was a straight route to cities like Harare, Masvingo, Pietersburg, Pretoria and Johanesburg.

With those reasons he said the border must be turned into an all season’s border post to ease movements of people and goods.

Residents expressed delight about the move saying it will help them rekindle their relations with their relatives across the border.ENDS