Cross Border Traders lobby for land border re-opening

Zimbabwe Cross-Border Traders Association has appealed to the government to consider reopening the land borders to traders who are fully vaccinated.

The country’s ports of entry have been closed to the general public since 2020 and only returnees and essential services have exemption to pass through.

Pretty Mpofu, a member of the association lamented the closure of land borders, and urged government to open borders limitting numbers.

“If possible they can allow just 100 cross-border traders to pass per day or simply limit the number of buses crossing on a day. That can minimise overcrowding at the border posts,”said Mpofu

The government resorted to closing as a measure to contain Corona Virus and Mpofu implored government to open borders to fully vaccinated travellers.

“The same way the government has allowed the vaccinated to return to churches, they should allow us to cross the borders to other countries and resume our business,”added Mpofu.

Many Zimbabweans are employed in the informal sector and the closure of borders has severely affected the sector as traders cannot travel outside Zimbabwe to restock.

Many have gone out of business while some have been able to remain operational by ordering their stock through runners commonly referred to as “Omalayitsha”,who smuggle the goods into the country for a fee.