Back in Bulawayo

This afternoon we arrived in the City of Kings - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe!  We certainly anticipate enjoying and being blessed by Zimbabwean hospitality but our specific reason for being here is our semi-annual regional leadership retreat with the MCC Representatives from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa. Bulawayo is a beautiful city and well acquainted with struggle and passion - but more on that later.

 Instead of flying we decided to do a road trip. The journey to Musina and the Beit Bridge border post with Zimbabwe is about a 5 1/2 hour drive north of Johannesburg. We overnighted at Musina at the Baobab Chalets and mid-morning were at the border post. Now there is a bit of history with this border post with us. We have been through it several times over our many years in the region. The last time was a year ago, enroute to the regional leadership meetings in Beira, Mozambique. The crossing - just on the Zim side took about 5 hours and we vowed never to go that way again.

Mistake - never make such vows! We had planned to go via Botswana and then into Zim to avoid this travesty of time and efficiency but at the last minute one of our passengers indicated they did not have a visa for Botswana and so we had to re-route to Beit Bridge.  So we stewed and sweated about it but decided to go. The last round there were probably close to a thousand people trying to find their way through and it was total chaos. I mean total chaos!

So we were bracing for the worst but were very pleasantly surprised to find very few people and a much improved system. It is still a bit complex for those accustomed to going through the Canada-US borders or most European borders (well I guess a lot of those crossing don't exist any more). Here is the process:
1) Park your vehicle and avoid the many guys who want to sell you there services by helping to process your documents.

Border sign at the height of the Zim dollar inflationary cycle!

2) Find the right queue to acquire a visa (Cdn$75). After that get back into another queue to have your visa stamped.
3) Meanwhile the driver is standing in a different queue to get a gate pass and pay a road access fee and acquire the necessary 'gate pass' which you need to show later on to get out of the customs/immigration area. After this the driver joins the visa and passport stamping queue.
4) The driver now needs to fill out a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) and pay a carbon tax (based on the size of your engine) and insurance fees (based on the value of your vehicle). The person processing these needs to see your original vehicle registration form, documentation that you a have permission to drive the vehicle across the border, etc.
5) Of course for each of these you stand in a queue to have your document processed (after you find out where you can get the forms of course).
6) Of course at any time there is someone willing to assist you in this for a 'contribution' who is usually quite annoyed when you say no thanks, we're sorted, we're fixed, we're set!
7) Meanwhile each adult needs to fill out a customs clearance form (blue) in which you declare all the important electronic or camera equipment you are taking across as well as any currency you have on your person or in the vehicle.
8) Now you head across the compound to a police department where they check to make sure all your documents are in order and valid.
9) All papers are dutifully checked and stamped.
10) Next is the customs clearance form. It gets check and then the last stamp goes on your gate pass.
11) As you begin to leave the customs area you are asked for your gate pass. They check to see that all the stamps are in place and tear off the first section.
12) Now there is only one more stop. The place where, if they so choose, they go through your entire vehicle to see if anything is out of place or being improperly imported into the country - the vehicle search area. We are fortunate and they only ask for the gate pass. Once that is handed over we are waved through and on our way!  Wow - that only took 1 1/2 hours. Imagine now if there had been hundreds of people all doing the same thing.....

The road to Bulawayo is tarred and in good shape. We make good progress and arrive in the City of Kings in about 4 hours. We are only slowed down by two toll gates (US$1 each), innumerable goats on the highway along with many cattle, 4 police check points and the occasional slow driver. But the journey goes smoothly.

Fife Street, Bulawayo - from the MCC offices

Now our meetings can begin! 

Tomorrow we visit MCC programs and meet with partners. The day will start off with a meditation from MWC President Bishop Danisa Ndlovu of the BIC church - one of MCC's partners in Zimbabwe.

More updates on this journey to come.