The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure says plans to build a fence along the country’s border with neighbouring Zimbabwe have gone off without a hitch.

The 40km fence is expected to prevent undocumented migrants from entering and spreading coronavirus - even though the neighbouring country has far less confirmed cases.

Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille says the fence is to be erected on either side of the Beitbridge border post.

“After President Cyril Ramaphosa had announced the first emergency measures to respond to the Covid-19 virus, the president also announced that a number of borders will be closed.

“As the Department of Public Works it’s our responsibility to make sure that we maintain and repair the whole of the border fence so we then used the emergency procurement procedures to procure some fencing.”

The fence will cost at least R37 million.

“This is about saving lives. This is about protecting South African citizens and also to protect all the people that come into our country,” says De Lille.

“This process has been long overdue because for the past fifteen, twenty years nothing was done about the fence so it’s not xenophobic at all, it’s to protect people.”

De Lille estimates the fence will be completed later in April.

“The contractor is on site. He has got eight teams working on five kilometres each,” says de Lille.

“We are also making sure that the contractor complies with the occupational health and safety standards for the workers working during this trying time.”

Jacaranda FM