It seems South Africa has found the upside to COVID-19. The country’s immigration authorities are now a priority with the government sending in reinforcements in order to prevent illegal movement of people into the rich Southern African nation. The country is a popular host to economic refugees with an estimated 3 million Zimbabwean refugees calling the country home. It’s not just Zimbabwe other countries like Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia also work in that country often without permits.

With reinforcements and a flooded river scores of people are now being denied entry into South Africa which has found the perfect excuse in COVID-19. Videos and pictures showing crowds of people waiting outside closed gates. Thousands were also turned away for not having permits. Fake COVID-19 certificates were also confiscated by South African authorities.

South Africa is the COVID-19 hotspot in Southern Africa. It even has a unique strain of the virus that is causing virologists sleepless nights. You would expect other countries to be stringent and selective when it comes to traffic from South Africa and not the other way round. And yet South African authorities seem worried about traffic from the north. Even Lesotho has not been given a pass with videos of citizens of the little country illegally crossing to South Africa.

Chaos is reigning at Beitbridge border post as Zimbabweans, fleeing the country’s deep political and economic crisis, scramble to return to South Africa for work, business and other things in a volatile Covid-19 environment.
Zim leaders deny there is a crisis; SA is now fed up. pic.twitter.com/148taSaCt4
— TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) January 5, 2021

#Lebombo WATCH: Many have been stuck since the weekend. These men have decided to attempt walking across. Video: Supplied. pic.twitter.com/49H1tpkHBT
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 5, 2021

Lebombo Mozambique

These are Mozambiquens going to SA. The queue to the SA Border is about 17Km. But becoz there is no unpatriotic cashvists & unpatriotic opposition leaders, like the ones in Zimbabwe: there is no bad publicity about Mozambique@matigary @KMutisi @JonesMusara @Mug2155 @JamesBae007 pic.twitter.com/XaRz6WikpY
— Brian Chibvongodze (@BrianVahombe1) January 5, 2021

Why is there a border between SA & Lesotho? Basotho belong to SA & Lesotho. Why divide us? Basotho created SA (economy) – just like all of SADC did.
This is heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/iYBMe9FqRX
— Tshepo Madlingozi (@TshepoMadlingo1) January 5, 2021

These videos coming out of the Beitbridge border post of Zimbabweans trying to cross into South Africa are a worrying sight for public health professionals!

Some of these people are not wearing masks, resulting in Covid-19 infections.

These are the results of FAILED leadership! pic.twitter.com/IpuFBZ1VR9
— Hopewell Chin’ono #TheGoatWantsItsCameraBack (@daddyhope) January 5, 2021