When the last of the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in June this year, thousands of informal traders who live and work between South Africa and Zimbabwe were freed from the terrible burden these had imposed on their daily struggle for survival.
In spite of the strict limits that were set during that time, which at one point completely banned these people from travelling back and forth, many of them had had no other option but to defy these regulations, sneaking through illegal (and often dangerous) ports of entry between the two countries, so that they could continue with their trades on this side. They said this was not because they refused to abide by the laws set out but out of necessity. For these people, it had been (and still is) a matter of survival. Selling their merchandise here is their only means to feed their wives or husbands, young children and ageing parents.
Gertrude Chikwetu (50), a Zimbabwean woman who has been selling foodstuff at the truck stop at the Beitbridge Border Post (on the South African side) since 2001, is but one of the countless people who went through this struggle during the pandemic and survived it for the sake of those who depend on her to provide for them.
"We came across panga or knife wielding thugs in the bush many times as we made our way to South Africa through illegal ports of entry. Now that the restrictions have been lifted in both countries, we use the legal port of entry at Beitbridge," said Gertrude.
She lives in the Dulibadzimu Township in Beitbridge town (on the Zimbabwean side), crosses into South Africa early every morning and returns to Zimbabwe again in the afternoon. She sells cooked round nuts, Mopani worms and maize cobs to the long-distance truck drivers crossing the border.
Limpopo Mirror caught up with her recently and had a chat with her. "My husband was not a professional, but he used to do odd jobs for our living. After his death, life was bad for the family. I had to fend for my three children singlehandedly. A friend of mine introduced me to this informal business, and that is what I have been doing since."
She has some advice for others. "Stop being lazy. Wake up early in the morning every day and think of better ways to bring food to the table. Make clay pots or carve something from wood. Sell sweet potatoes or Simba chips. Anything you can think of, but at least make an effort, because food won't fall from the sky; you have to work for it," she said.
Regarding the deployment of the border security guards recently, she said this was a good thing as she felt that traveling between the countries would be safer.