Queues totalling 4km have been reported at Beitbridge – Photo: Supplied
Queues totalling 4km have been reported at Beitbridge – Photo: Supplied
The disruptive impacts of load shedding go way beyond matters concerning our national energy grid, it seems. Reports have reached us from Beitbridge this afternoon, confirming that the border post with Zimbabwe has been thrown into chaos.
Load shedding brings operations at Beitbridge to a halt
A brutal period of load shedding has crippled South Africa over the last week or so. Power cuts peaked on Sunday, when Stage 6 outages were implemented. However, some feel that Eskom secretly went EVEN FURTHER than this – and blackouts will remain throughout the week.
Critical infrastructure, water systems, and even mobile phone networks have been hit hard by this latest round of load shedding – and now it’s even causing chaos across the border. Huge queues, spanning back as far as 4km, have been reported at Beitbridge.
Border crossings ‘brought to glacial pace’ by Eskom power cuts
The busy gateway between South Africa and Zimbabwe encountered electrical issues last night. It’s understood that a loss of power at the national key point meant that passport documents ‘could not be scanned by officials’, causing a major tailback.
One source tells us that southbound cargo heading INTO Mzansi remains stuck on the Zimbabwean side of the border, as equipment used to process these deliveries has also been badly affected. The so-called ‘network challenges‘ have brought Beitbridge to a standstill.
Beitbridge waiting times soar, as 4km queues reported
Although a majority of problems with the power supply occurred late on Monday, the delays caused during this time have spilled over into Tuesday. Cars, trucks, and even people on foot are now being held-up at the border, with thousands of journeys now directly affected.
Beitbridge does remain open to travel at this time, but a near-standstill remains in place. Those attempting to cross the border must be prepared for a long wait, while workers attempt to get back up to speed. Load shedding in SA is currently at Stage 5, allowing little room for manoeuvre.
