The community of Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, has acknowledged that it is not able to accommodate returnees who are supposed to come from South Africa any time now.

The returnees are trapped in South Africa where most of them were economic refugees, and feel the heat of the lockdown that was put on that country to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Beitbridge Coordinator for District Development Sikhangezile Mafu, who briefed the National Theme Committee on Ports of Entry to ensure the readiness of the border town to receive returning residents, said:

“At local level we have nothing. We have no resources to talk about. There is no water at the facility and it is being connected.

” The area will not be able to hold the anticipated numbers and we are speaking to lodges and other hotels to be able to host some of the returnees,” a statement reads

The national thematic ports of entry committee is tracking the readiness of border posts to manage and retain returnees.

South Africa has the highest number of reported cases of coronavirus in Africa making repatriation of people living in that country a risky step that involves extracare at the entry points.