ANGERED BY MATSAMO IMMIGRATIONS OFFICIALS

Sir,

On Saturday, February 25 2017, just after midday, while I was returning from visiting my uncle kaMsogwaba in South Africa, I witnessed an incident at the Matsamo Border Gate that boggled my mind and left me utterly disgusted.

The Immigration counters were being manned by two officials, one lady and one gentleman. It was a rather hot day and I was in the queue to stamp my passport, while ahead of me there was a Caucasian couple.

In front of the couple were two black gentlemen and a family that was being attended to by the female official. When the first gentleman moved forward to have his passport stamped by the male official, as it was his turn, the official turned him back and called the Caucasian couple to come to him instead, even though there were two people in front of the couple waiting to be served.

The people in the queue grumbled but not one of us was brave enough to ask the official why he did what he did.  Incidentally, it couldn’t have been that the couple was there earlier as I was queuing a few steps behind them even at the South African side of the border.

Could this have been a tourism courtesy act, as the couple was travelling in a foreign registered vehicle? Do the Immigration principals condone such behaviour by the Immigration officials? I want to believe that this was an isolated case that should never recur at our borders. I was not impressed and felt very angry. 

Traveller

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