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Botswana's COVID Border Checks Rile Truck Drivers

Mqondisi'¯Dube'¯

   GABORONE - Botswana's strict COVID-19 border checks have riled truck
   drivers, who say they spend days waiting to be cleared. Botswana has so
   far confirmed only 35 COVID-19 cases and one death but began requiring
   the border testing amid rising concerns about imported infections.
   Truck drivers are growing frustrated with long delays at Botswana's
   borders due to required COVID-19 testing. '¯

   The truckers say they wait for up to five days before being cleared to
   deliver goods in Botswana, or transit through the country.

   Zambian truck driver Amon Phiri complains there are no washing
   facilities at the border check post, and they run out of food while
   waiting for test results. '¯
   '¯
   "We are frustrated with the situation going on. We have been kept in
   Botswana for about five days now, no results. And we are all truck
   drivers gathered in one place," he said. "We are being kept here with a
   single toilet, no water and no food. We are using the bush to answer
   the call of nature."'¯'¯'¯
   '¯
   Phiri urged Botswana authorities to speed up the testing. '¯
   '¯
   "We were told the results will be out in 72 hours, but up to now
   nothing has come out. We are appealing to authorities to take
   action,"'¯'¯'¯ he said.
   '¯
   South African truck driver Malusi Dlamini says the delays have led to
   tensions across the border in South Africa.

   He says some South African truckers are threatening to block trucks
   entering from Botswana if the situation is not resolved.
   '¯
   "It is a frustrating situation. We hope it is addressed soon before
   tensions boil over. There are long queues of up to 10 kilometers of
   trucks waiting to be cleared,"'¯ he said.

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