Travel at own peril!
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday March 31, 2014 16:16
The Tlokweng border post is arguably Botswana’s busiest gateway to South Africa, after its infrastructure was expanded a few years ago to position itself for the floodgate of traffic to and from South Africa.
But because of the unstable situation on the South African side, the management of Tlokweng border gate were issuing warning notices advising motorists to turn back and use the Ramotswa border post as an alternative route.
On reaching the border post, The Monitor team was informed that the South Africa immigration office had issued a warning to their Botswana counterparts after riots broke out on Friday at Mokgola village, some 70kms from the border, on the way to Zeerust.
It emerged that the villagers were protesting against lack of water and decided to blockade the road, forcing motorists to use a 25 kms dirt road before they re-join the tarmac.
However, motorists who decided to use the dirt road described it as unsafe and the journey dangerous for motorists. “You just cannot see the road, or oncoming vehicles clearly because there is a huge cloud of dust all the way, traffic is so slow on the dirt road, also, it is a struggle,” a truck driver, who said he had no choice but to use the dirt road, told The Monitor.
Although South African police were visible at their border, some travellers complained that there was no police presence on the slow dirt road and feared motorists could be easily targeted and robbed.
Some truck drivers were seen following the immigration officials’ instructions, headed for the Ramotswa border.
The South African immigration officials on Saturday said many Batswana who tried to cross during the weekend later abandoned their journey or crossed at Ramotswa or Lobatse border gates.