South Africa has decided to build a border wall with its southern African neighbour, Zimbabwe.
According to authorities of the rainbow nation, the border wall is expected to keep undocumented migrants and individuals Infected with the Coronavirus from entering the country.
According to South African public works minister, Patricia de Lille, construction of the border wall is a part of the emergency procedures adopted by the Cyril Ramaphosa led government to tackle the Coronavirus epidemic currently spreading across South Africa.
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to the Coronavirus epidemic.
According to the public works Minister, Ramaphosa ordered that border crossings into south Africa be closed but the measure will not be effective if the fences on the border are not secure.
The ministers said further that;
“A 1.8m (5ft 11in) high fence, stretching for 20km (12.4 miles), would be built on either side of the Beitbridge border, the main crossing between the two nations.”
South Africa currently has 150 individuals Infected with the Coronavirus.
Thousand of Zimbabwean citizens currently live in South Africa, many of them fleeing hard economic conditions and political violence in their home country.
South Africa has tried to reduce migration from Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa in the past.
Zimbabwe has no case of the Coronavirus so far although President Mnangagwa has ordered all schools to be shut from Tuesday as a precautionary measure.