Flooding in the Limpopo province has seen the temporary closure of three ports of entry to neighbouring Botswana – Zanzibar, Platjan and Pontdrift.
Spokesperson at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Thabo Mokgola, told FTW Online that transporters using these three border posts should re-direct their trucks to Groblers Bridge.
“We have immigration officers on standby but the water levels are currently such that crossing the border is impossible.”
He said that there was no structural damage to roads or bridges at this stage. “We’re simply waiting for the water levels to decrease. At this stage we cannot say when that will be.”
According to Mokgola, the Platjan bridge has been under water since last week Friday, while the river at the Zanzibar port of entry has been flooded since mid-January.
On the Botswana side of the border, the Bray port of entry is also affected by the high levels of the river and transporters have been advised to use the Makopong port of entry.
