Government considering reopening land borders

The Zimbabwean government said that it was considering reopening the land borders to the public for the festive season following a decline in COVID-19 infections.


The government resorted to closing the land borders in 2020 as a measure to contain the spread of the Corona Virus.

The country’s land ports of entry have remained closed to the general public since 2020 and only returnees and essential services have been exempted to pass through the borders and airports in the country remain open to all traffic.

Home affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said that the government would announce the date of the reopening of the border in due course adding that they were waiting for the National Covid-19 Taskforce to make recommendation to that effect.

“As you know there is a national taskforce tasked with dealing with such matters and as a Minister I cannot make a unilateral decision. However, if the taskforce sees it fit they will make their submissions.

President Mnangagwa will then make a decision on that matter. However, judging from the prevailing situation chances are high that the borders might be opened soon,” he said.

The reopening of the land borders will be a welcome development to the cross border traders who had been lobbying the government to reopen the land borders to allow people to travel for business purposes.

Many Zimbabweans are employed in the informal sector and the closure of borders severely affected the sector as traders cannot travel outside Zimbabwe to restock with some resorting to border jumping to access neighboring countries.

The reopening of borders is expected to be exclusive to people who are fully inoculated.

Presently only Victoria Falls and Kazungula land border posts at only to open but to tourists who are fully vaccinated.

The Zimbabwean government said that it was considering reopening the land borders to the public for the festive season following a decline in COVID-19 infections.

The government resorted to closing the land borders in 2020 as a measure to contain the spread of the Corona Virus.

The country’s land ports of entry have remained closed to the general public since then and only returnees and essential services have been exempted to pass through the borders and airports in the country remain open to all traffic.

Home affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said that the government would announce the date of the reopening of the border in due course adding that they were waiting for the National Covid-19 Taskforce to make recommendation to that effect.

“As you know there is a national taskforce tasked with dealing with such matters and as a Minister I cannot make a unilateral decision. However, if the taskforce sees it fit they will make their submissions.

President Mnangagwa will then make a decision on that matter. However, judging from the prevailing situation chances are high that the borders might be opened soon,” he said.

The reopening of the land borders will be a welcome development to the cross border traders who had been lobbying the government to reopen the land borders to allow people to travel for business purposes.

Many Zimbabweans are employed in the informal sector and the closure of borders severely affected the sector as traders cannot travel outside Zimbabwe to restock with some resorting to border jumping to access neighboring countries.

The reopening of borders is expected to be exclusive to people who are fully inoculated.

Presently only Victoria Falls and Kazungula land border posts are open only to tourists who are fully vaccinated.