{"id":1366,"date":"2025-11-26T03:41:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T03:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=1366"},"modified":"2025-11-26T03:44:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T03:44:31","slug":"gwanda-wins-illegal-checkpoint-removed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=1366","title":{"rendered":"Gwanda wins: Illegal checkpoint removed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by NQOBANI MATHIBELA<\/em>
GWANDA \u2014 CITIZENS across Matabeleland north and south have applauded Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa for her forceful intervention in Parliament that led to the removal of the controversial inland checkpoint in Gwanda.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents say the site \u2014 widely criticized as an \u201cillegal border post\u201d \u2014 inflicted unnecessary delays and cost travellers both time and money, despite being located nearly 150 km from the official Beitbridge Border Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public celebrations have since intensified, with growing calls for Senator Mlotshwa to be elevated to the post of Second Vice President when current Vice President Kembo Mohadi retires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many argue she is the only leader who has demonstrated a firm and fearless commitment to representing the interests of Matabeleland region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just passed through Gwanda now \u2014 the illegal checkpoint has been removed,\u201d said Sibusisiwe Moyo. \u201cWe now want Senator Mlotshwa to be elevated to Vice President because we foresee many wrongs being corrected under her leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media was flooded with similar sentiments. \u201cShe must be appointed Second Vice President,\u201d wrote Limuka Masuku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arthur Jerenyenje echoed the praise: \u201cThis is the most positive representation we\u2019ve had from Parliament this year. I\u2019m extremely impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others simply saluted her courage: \u201cWell done Mama Mlotshwa,\u201d wrote Bucs Khaya, while Shingirai Mutize added, \u201cViva Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa \u2014 thank you for raising Matabeleland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Mlotshwa, speaking in Parliament, said: \u201cThis checkpoint had no legal clarity, duplicated border-control functions, disrupted livelihoods, and exposed travellers to danger. Our people deserve fairness, transparency, and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the checkpoint now dismantled, citizens say no similar inland posts should ever be introduced again, insisting such practices amount to harassment and economic sabotage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For travellers and traders, its removal marks a significant victory \u2014 though many await assurances that this unlawful precedent will never be repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by NQOBANI MATHIBELAGWANDA \u2014 CITIZENS across Matabeleland north and south have applauded Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa for her forceful intervention in Parliament that led to the removal of the controversial inland checkpoint in Gwanda. Residents say the site \u2014 widely criticized as an \u201cillegal border post\u201d \u2014 inflicted unnecessary delays and cost travellers both time and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,8,9,44,45,3,41,12],"tags":[222],"class_list":["post-1366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-pick","category-featured","category-hot-topics","category-latest-updates","category-local","category-national","category-news","category-politics-news","category-politics","tag-nonhlanhla-mlotshwa"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa-300x182.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg","large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg","post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"administrator","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"by NQOBANI MATHIBELAGWANDA \u2014 CITIZENS across Matabeleland north and south have applauded Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa for her forceful intervention in Parliament that led to the removal of the controversial inland checkpoint in Gwanda. Residents say the site \u2014 widely criticized as an \u201cillegal border post\u201d \u2014 inflicted unnecessary delays and cost travellers both time and […]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Editor's Pick","Featured","Hot Topics","Latest Updates","Local","National","News","Politics","Politics"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":100,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":2,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa.jpg",638,386,false],"medium":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa-300x182.jpg",300,182,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nonhlanhla-Mlotshwa-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"administrator","author_link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?author=2"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"Editor's Pick<\/a> Featured<\/a> Hot Topics<\/a> Latest Updates<\/a> Local<\/a> National<\/a> News<\/a> Politics<\/a> Politics<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1366"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1367,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1366\/revisions\/1367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}