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Takunda Maodza Manicaland Bureau Chief
THE Chimanimani Tourism Association (CTA) has called for an urgent change of systems at the Beitbridge Border Post to ensure tourists driving from South Africa easily access Zimbabwe, amid indications some are spending over six hours in queues waiting for clearance.

At its peak in the 1990s, Chimanimani was second only to Victoria Falls in the number of international and regional tourists visiting attractions in the scenic Eastern Highlands.

Beitbridge Border Post is the country’s busiest point of entry and is often congested.

In an interview with The Herald yesterday, CTA chairperson Mrs Jane High — who runs the Frog and Fern Cottages in Chimanimani — suggested the establishment of a special desk at the border post to clear tourists coming into the country.

She said many potential tourists ended up visiting other countries in the region due to frustration over delays at Beitbridge Border Post.

Mrs High said in the past, there was a desk manned by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority that facilitated the clearance of tourists.

“In 1997 when we were at the peak of our tourism, Chimanimani was second only to Victoria Falls in the number of international and regional tourists,” she said. “We had more tourists than Hwange, Matopos and Great Zimbabwe, but six out of 10 of those visitors were driving through Beitbridge in 4x4s.

“That entire group has stopped because Beitbridge is overwhelmed.”

Mrs High said she recently used the border post and saw long queues of up to 1 000 people waiting for clearance.

“It took us six and half hours to get through and that is not an experience a tourist will put up with,” she said. “At the same time you have touts coming to you offering to make it easier for you and trying to extract dollars from you by corrupt means.”

Mrs High said it was too costly for Zimbabwe to lose potential revenue from the tourism sector because of such hiccups.

“Too many people are using that border post and it needs to be sorted out so that you have one area where people with a different passport (tourists) can be served,” she said.

“Now, what is happening is that tourists are going around Zimbabwe because many people fly into Johannesburg, hire vehicles and drive into countries such as Botswana. They do tours that last up to three months.

“Previously they were coming straight to Zimbabwe through Beitbridge. They would stay at least three weeks, spending a lot of money in accommodation and food. They were not just flying in and immediately flying out.”

Mrs High said tourists were averse to spending hours in queues.

“That is a cultural thing and we need to realise it,” she said. “They will choose to go somewhere else with their time and money.”

The tourism sector is one of the major generators of revenue and employment in Zimbabwe.