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Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]

SOUTH Africa’s Department of Transport and Community Safety in collaboration with other key stakeholders in Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries is rolling out an operation to promote road safety and compliance with cross-border trade and movement-related laws.

The SA’s Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga is leading the team, which also includes Zimbabwean and Zambian road agencies.

The initiative was set in motion on Tuesday between the Beitbridge Border Post and Musina town along the N1 Highway, one of the major commercial roads that link South Africa with the rest of Africa within the North-to-South corridor.

A total of 20 000 travellers, 1 200 commercial trucks and 2 000 light vehicles from Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Botswana, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe use Beitbridge Border Post daily for cross-border trade and access to the Durban port

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In a statement, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety said Cross-Border Road Transport Agency’s (C-BRTA) Cross-Alive Road Safety campaign is running under the theme: “Obey the Law and Cross-Alive.”

“The Cross-Alive Road Safety campaign aims to advocate for road safety along the Beitbridge corridor just outside Musina in the Limpopo province.

“It further aims to strengthen the collaboration of law enforcement operations between law enforcement authorities in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region,” read the statement.

The enforcement team is made up of the C-BRTA’s Road Transport Inspectorate (RTI) Unit, the Road Accident Fund (RAF), Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) and South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL).

Other members include the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Service (SAPS), Limpopo Provincial and Local Traffic Police as well as law enforcement authorities from Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba yesterday said that so far they have arrested 159 suspects for violating immigration laws.

“In addition, 57 motorists were fined for contravening the Road Traffic Act. The operations were conducted in the Musina policing precinct through roadblocks,” he said.

“The suspects are expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate court soon facing charges of illegal immigration and selling liquor without a license”.Col Ledwaba said the programme is ongoing to stamp out cross-border crimes.

The officer commanding police in Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said they have also tightened security along the border to reduce cross-border crimes and border jumping.

Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo

He urged those intending to cross the border to use designated crossing points.
“As the police, we want to encourage those wishing to engage in cross-border travel to get proper documents, especially people living in Beitbridge where a passport office has been opened,” said Chief Supt Nyongo. —@tupeyo