By A Correspondent-Two people have died after collapsing while undergoing border formalities at the Beitbridge Border Post in Matabeleland South over the weekend, authorities have confirmed.

The first victim was a 48-year-old South African truck driver transporting peas from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Beitbridge District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Mesuli Ncube, said the driver collapsed and died on Saturday at around 4pm shortly after completing immigration procedures.

“He had just returned to his vehicle after stamping his passport at the southbound truck export yard when he suddenly collapsed,” said Chief Supt Ncube. “Preliminary investigations revealed he had complained of feeling unwell in his work WhatsApp group the previous day.”

The second incident occurred a day earlier, on Friday, when a diabetic passenger from Murehwa died during a customs inspection. The man was travelling with his 21-year-old son aboard a Best Express Logistics bus from Pretoria.

“His legs were visibly swollen when he boarded the bus in South Africa,” Chief Supt Ncube said. “The bus was recalled to the border for customs reassessment after being stopped at a checkpoint in the Chicago area near Masvingo.”

During the inspection at around 10am, the man’s son noticed his father was unresponsive. Port health officials and police were called to the scene. The body was later transferred to the Beitbridge District Mortuary.

Both cases are being treated as sudden deaths. Police are in the process of notifying the deceaseds’ next of kin, and post-mortem examinations are pending.