London, Feb. 14, 2021 (AltAfrica)-South Africa will reopen 20 land border crossings to allow normal travel, lifting restrictions implemented last month to control rising coronavirus infections, the Home Affairs Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said land border points, including those with Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana, would reopen om Monday February 15, 2021 after being closed on January 11.

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#DHA Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi leads the deployment of senior managers of #DHA to key land border posts following Cabinet approval of the reopening of the land borders on 15 February 2021 pic.twitter.com/9KmAf1rp81

— HomeAffairsSA (@HomeAffairsSA) February 13, 2021

“The active and orderly management of people through our borders is an important part of the country’s overall risk adjusted approach to control the spread of Covid-19,” said Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is scheduled to be at Lebombo Border Post on Monday, while Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza will visit Beitbridge and Director-General Tommy Makhode will check the situation at Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg.  

 The land borders were closed on January 11 as part of the country’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 following the moving of the country from lockdown level 1 to adjusted level 3 lockdown amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in late December.

South Africa has recorded the highest number of coronavirusinfections and deaths on the African continent, with more than1.4 million cases and over 47,000 deaths.

It has been hit hard by a second wave of infections linked to a new variant called 501Y.V2 which was identified in South Africa late last year.