Leonard Neill
Monday February 28, 2000
ANXIETY AND uncertainty reigned among road hauliers concerning movement of consignments between South Africa and Zimbabwe as a result of flood conditions as this issue of FTW went to press.
Long lines of vehicles were queueing at the Beit Bridge border post which was expected to remain closed until Wednesday or Thursday. The only available border posts open to the north, those approaching Gaborone in Botswana, were still open but were under heavy pressure. Long lines of vehicles were awaiting clearance as nearby dams were in danger of bursting their walls.
The main route to Zimbabwe was cut off to the north of Louis Trichardt. Many vehicles had been rerouted to Messina via Dendron but were forced to stand at the border post where customs and police had closed their facilities. A decision on when the posts would be opened was being considered in the light of when the river would subside, and what further downpours were expected.
The Tlokwane post between Zeerust and Gaborone, and the Ramatlabama post approaching Lobatsi in Botswana, were still open at the time of going to press, but approach roads not geared to heavy traffic were crumbling under the unexpected weight of long lines of loaded vehicles. The dam serving Gaborone was full and threatening to burst.
Traffic had been able to pass through the South Africa-Mozambique border post at Komatipoort in normal fashion after earlier rains caused delays last week.
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