By ZBC Reporter
South Africa is expected to open its land borders with six countries beginning tomorrow.
These are ports of entry into Botswana, Lesotho, Eswathini, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
In a statement, South Africa’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says all land borders will close at 9pm daily in line with lockdown restrictions.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is scheduled to be at Lebombo Border Post on Monday, while Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza will visit Beitbridge and Director-General Tommy Makhode will check the situation at Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg.
The borders were closed on January 11 as part of the country’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 after the country adjusted from lockdown level 1 to level 3, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in late December.
Meanwhile, the South African Cabinet approved the extension of the national state of disaster until the 15th of March as South Africa battles the second wave of the pandemic, with vaccines yet to be rolled out.
The national state of disaster was first implemented in March 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa to curb the spread of COVID-19.
To date, the country has recorded nearly 1.5 million positive cases and 47 000 deaths from the pandemic.