OSHOEK – Frustrated travellers spent up to four hours in queues yesterday as new border regulations took effect.
Hundreds of motorists and commuters were left stranded at Oshoek Border Post after the introduction of South Africa’s new foreign vehicle declaration system triggered long delays, confusion and mounting frustration on its first day of implementation.
The new requirement by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), which came into effect yesterday, requires all foreign-registered vehicles entering or leaving South Africa to be declared through the Traveller Management System before crossing the border. The declaration generates a permit valid for six months.
While authorities have described the system as part of efforts to modernise customs processes and improve border security, the rollout immediately resulted in severe congestion at key entry points between Eswatini and South Africa.
A visit by this publication to Ngwenya/Oshoek Border Gate yesterday found long queues of minibuses and private vehicles stretching across sections of the border post, with passengers forced to remain inside vehicles for hours while drivers attempted to complete the online declarations.
Many travellers said the delay only began after immigration procedures had already been completed, leaving them stuck on the South African side despite having cleared the Eswatini checkpoint in a matter of minutes.
One of the affected commuters, Unathi Dlamini, said they spent more than four hours waiting inside a minibus after having their passports stamped.
“They are fast on the Eswatini side, but the delay is on the South African side. We arrived here around 9:20am and we have just been sitting here since then,” he said.
Dlamini, who was travelling to Johannesburg after spending two weeks in Eswatini, said frustration grew as time passed without clear communication on when the process would be completed.
He said some passengers became so frustrated that they opted to abandon their journeys and return to Eswatini. Another commuter, Thabsile Ndlangamandla, described the situation as exhausting and poorly managed.
“We have been sitting in this minibus for hours without any clear communication. The lines are barely moving and it is very hot. Some of us have connecting flights and work shifts to catch in South Africa. This new system has completely disrupted our travel plans on day one,” she said.
Passengers could be seen stepping out of vehicles, walking around the border parking area in search of information, while others remained seated inside overcrowded minibuses waiting for movement in the queues.
Sifiso Mamba questioned why authorities had not introduced a grace period before fully enforcing the system.
“It is unfair for passengers to suffer like this. We spent less than 10 minutes clearing immigration on the Eswatini side, only to get stuck here for four hours because of vehicle paperwork. They should have ironed out these issues before implementing the law,” he said.
The delays affected travellers heading to various destinations across South Africa, including Johannesburg, Nelspruit and Pretoria, with many saying they risked missing appointments, flights and work commitments.
Samkelo Ngwenya said the delays had already drained travellers before the long road journey even began.
“Even now, I am already tired and frustrated. We still have many hours of travelling ahead of us, yet we have already spent most of the day at the border,” she said.
Cross-border transport operators also bore the brunt of the disruption, with drivers reporting major delays in their schedules.
Driver Nkosingiphile Nxumalo said he had spent nearly four hours at the border waiting for clearance.
“I arrived here around 9:50am and the time now is 1:35pm. By this time, I should have been close to Johannesburg. Four hours is a very long delay,” he said.
Nxumalo said the situation was worsened by the high number of travellers returning to South Africa after attending the MTN Bushfire Festival in Eswatini over the weekend, which created unusually heavy traffic volumes.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
