Mozambique-Zimbabwe border open 24 hours to meet demand
The Machipanda border post, located between Manica Province in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, has started operating 24 hours a day this week to accommodate the increased cargo traffic coming from the Port of Beira.
Abílio Mathe, spokesperson for the provincial directorate of Migration in Manica, explained the context, "The Port of Beira [in Sofala Province] operates 24 hours. So, it was necessary for the Machipanda post to match this schedule because trucks were being released and ended up accumulating here in the middle, between the port and the border post."
The measure has been in effect since Monday, the migration spokesperson added. The continuous movement between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, through the center of the country, required the authorities of both countries to increase staff at the borders to meet demand
With no restrictions on departure times from the port, "there is the possibility of crossing at any time, which is a major gain at all levels," stated Abílio Mathe.
According to the migration source in Manica, until last Sunday, the Machipanda border operated from 06:00 to 22:00. This limited cargo transit, mostly merchandise transportation, creating long queues in the region and in Zimbabwe.
