THE effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since its advent in 2019 and all restrictions that have been put in place in order to curb the spread of the fatal virus have among others forced border management services to be unusually second-rate.

Efforts by border managers to keep the virus under control instigated several challenges that made movement across the borders relatively difficult.

In spite of all the challenges met, they had to find a way out to continue providing services to travelers and that included scheduled time operations to among others open and close borders and the kind of people who are allowed to cross borders.

Mantši Tšeane, the Qacha's Nek District Administrator (DA), said things have been uncomfortable on their side since the outbreak of the pandemic, with the South African (RSA) border management schedules clashing with theirs and causing a lot of confusion to travellers in the process.

He said the RSA border opens at 8am and closes at 4pm while Lesotho’s opens at 730am and closes at 6pm every day.

Mr Tšeane said the time differences make their work a bit difficult because normally they should complement one another as the two sides work hand in hand on a daily basis.

“Traders now have to leave their vehicles, especially loaded lorries on the other side of the border on their way back to home because the border closes too early, this has led to theft of their equipment and loss of several property because there is insufficient security at the border,” he said.