South African Government To Place A Massive Fence on The Zimbabwean Boarder To Avoid Coronavirus Patients From Sneaking Into Zimbabwe

The South African government wants to place a  40km massive fence in a month's time in Beit Bridge for the Zimbabweans who are crossing the border without passports and to avoid the transmission of coronavirus.

Public works & infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille made the announcement at a media briefing in Cape Town on Thursday.

“In terms of section 27 (2) (I) of the Disaster Management Act … I have invoked emergency procurement procedures in relation to the erection and repairs of the border fences, east and west of the Beitbridge Border Post,” she said.

“The president stated that 35 of the 53 land entry points will be closed. This measure will, however, not be effective if the fences at the border are not secure, which in many places, they are not,” said the minister.

On the 16th of March, De Lille made the situation an emergency case and direct her department to start the arrangements.

On the next day, her department and the department of defence and defence force went to the site for inspections and it was recognized that a fence – 40km long and 1.8m high – be placed  20km on either side of the Beitbridge land port entry.

Contractor appointed

“Yesterday, 18 March, the specifications were finalised and all of the emergency supply chain management processes were undertaken. Yesterday, the contractor was appointed.”

The minister announced that the site would be given to the contractor on Thursday, 19 March, for work to commence.

“Due to the project being an emergency, my department has instructed the contractor to substantially increase the number of teams deployed and the rate of delivery tenfold.”

De Lille said the cost of the project is approximately R37.2-million.

All 40km of the fence will be finished within one month and local labour will be sourced by the contractor.