The phone lines to FTW have been busy recently as readers called in to get an update on the latest conditions at the SA-Zimbabwe border post of Beitbridge – which built up a lengthy queue of anything up to 50 trucks when the SA Revenue Service (Sars) customs personnel went on strike recently. It remained in a congested state for some days after the strike had supposedly finished, but working to rule seemed to be the name of the game. The latest information from Barney Curtis, adviser to the Road Freight Association (RFA) on overborder issues, and executive officer of the Federation of Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), is that it’s back to normal. “That is as normal as can be expected under the circumstances.” His definition of normal, he added, was that Beitbridge was “very up-anddown” as far as performance was concerned. “We all know that Beitbridge is heading for disaster,” Curtis said, “unless something new is done about it.” And that is currently being worked out by a combined team representing the private sector transport industry and the authorities – working under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The situation at Beitbridge is only going to get worse until this body completes its study and makes conclusions on the medium- to long-term future of the border post, Curtis told FTW. “That’s going to be a major action plan going forward,” he said.
