SA ‘not ready’ for 24-hour border opening

NELSPRUIT – Former
head of Mpumalanga, Dr.
Matthews Phosa, told a group
of Swaziland businessmen
meeting at the provincial
capital last week that South
Africa had turned down
a request by the Swazi
government and business
community for 24-hour border
post operations between the
two countries.
“Swaziland said they were
ready to open border posts
because business people
wanted to operate even at
night, all night, for 24 hours,
but South Africa said they
were not ready yet,” said
Phosa.
He cited security concerns
and the cost of manning
border posts on a round-theclock
basis as the reasons for
SA’s reluctance.
However, Phosa stressed
the SA government’s desire to
facilitate the passage of crossborder
goods.
“We want to soften the
border restrictions so as to
move our economies,” he said.
He believes the answer
to economic growth is a
“framework of regional
economic cooperation and
integration. This will be
achieved through the removal
of barriers to free trade in
the region, facilitating free
movement of people, goods
and investment across the
border.”