Police in Limpopo on Thursday continued to keep an eye on the border town of Musina and the Beitbridge port of entry even though violent protests have waned.
Protests erupted around the border area on Friday after Zimbabwe imposed a ban on basic food imports and other commodities from South Africa. Cross-border traders blocked traffic on the South African side. A building was torched on the Zimbabwean side of the border.
Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Ronel Otto on Thursday told African News Agency (ANA) that roadblocks and searches would continue.
“The roadblock is to make sure that there are no incidents of violence and prevent masses of people from going to the border because we heard there are intentions of blocking the border,” said Otto.
Police are searching vehicles going to the border, checking that passengers have passports. Those who failed to produce relevant documentation were being prevented from going to the border.
The International Cross-Border Traders Association and local business formations in Musina said the ban imposed by Zimbabwe was hurting their members.
On Thursday the situation seemed to be returning to normal, but campaigners against the ban vowed to continue to pressure Zimbabwe’s 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe and his embattled government to lift restrictions on imports the ban on imports of basic food.
Musina is one of several towns in the vicinity that benefited from the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy.
The unrest in the northern neighbour has resulted in a significant drop in business in Musina.
Restaurant cashier Dzulani Mbavhalelo said: “There is nothing that we are doing now, and it does not look like we will have jobs if the banning of import continues”.
Some cross border traders were now risking life and limb by smuggling goods across the crocodile infested Limpopo River into Zimbabwe. They are also at the mercy of marauding criminal gangs.
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