BORDER POSTS AND POLICING - A NEW AWAKENING?

[Dr Chris]

Hi all, and a very happy New Year to you as well!
I have just completed a round trip with family, starting out by flying to Lusaka (direct from Durban, avoiding JHB completely) in December 2012, and then motoring down back to Durban, via Botswana. The trip took 3 nights, and was essentially uneventful, although the rains had started to make the summer changes visible.
The return leg on 14th January 2013, when we motored back via Swaziland, Mozambique and then through Zimbabwe back to Zambia, was as different as night is to day. The stunning green pastures and bushveld, and the amazing agricultural growth in Zimbabwe, was a sight to behold, and utimately the people that really mattered were the Border Posting, and Policing of the roads themselves.
All, and I mean ALL, the posts and the traffic controls en route were outstanding - no hassassment, no intimidation, no bribery, just good old fashioned manners and politeness all the way! Immaculate uniforms, ongoing improvements to the border posts to obviate the endless delays, especially at the more popular posts, where we were always directed to "bypass" the hundreds of trucks and bulk vehicles to get in front, threreby jumping the queue, all coming from the traffic police themselves.
My initial question is.....was it because we were travelling in a Zambian registered vehicle? And then what made the changes so relevant and profound, and why?
I imagine a number of reasons could be postulated, but it was a very real and positive experience, and obviously thoroughly enjoyed by all!
Have any others from RSA had similar experiences?
Me thinks we will be visiting Zimbabwe again quite soon, as it is getting better and better by the day, never mind the year, with supermarkets, shopping malls, clean streets, tarred roads, etc. I could go on and on......!
Regards,
Chris.
PS: By the way I was coerced by my grandchildren to go white water rafting down the Zambesi, all 25 rapids nogal, and we made it without turning the boat over, but I remember being jettisoned like a champagne cork at one stage, only to be dragged back on very quickly. it was fantastic fun!! Not bad for a 70 year old Oupa.

[Jorrie]

Sounds like good news. I hope it was not only because of the Zimbabwean registered vehicle.
I would certainly put Zim on my bucket list if the reports are confirmed by others.
Thanks for the info.

[Marino4x4]

Hi Dr Chris

It is good to hear that they are getting thins right.

Now for the

[ricster]

Doc,

Fantastic trip that !!... I am unsure as to why the border posts were a breeze... but hey.... fantastic if they keep it up for ALL neighboring country registered vehicles !!

I too did the Zambezi river rafting about 9 years ago...... What an awesome experience....10/10 to your grand kids for coercing you into that situation...

Age is all relevant Doc.... you are still young at heart !!!

[dieselfan]

Went recently too and did some work up there over the last few years with GP Plates, flew through posts. The only area where the cops get annoying was closer to Harare - ZanuPF capital. Zim is one of my favs.