Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
Africa
COVID-19
Customs
Logistics
Road/Rail Freight

Chirundu feels the pain of congestion, Covid-19 and Durban port delays

11 May 2020 - by Eugene Goddard
The bridge across the Zambezi at Chirundu, once a one-stop border post and one of Africa's best Customs areas, has become one of the region's worst crossings. 
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Thirty-eight truck drivers were robbed in their cabs over the weekend with at least one of them held up at gun point as capacity constraints experienced at the Chirundu crossing on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border continue to compromise the safety of hauliers.

Slow processing by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has for some time caused congestion south of the border, routinely leading to a queue of around 10 kilometres or more.

But over the weekend the queue grew to 27 kilometres, stretching into Hurungwe Safari Area where drivers had to sleep in their trucks as they waited to proceed north.

It led to a sitting-duck situation with criminals preying on drivers forced to camp in their cabins in a nature reserve with no access to amenities.

In an attempt to unblock the clogged-up truck traffic, Zambian Customs started bringing trucks through, parking them in designated areas and assisting with the screening of drivers for Covid-19.

Recently Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), told Freight News that a major cause of delays south of the border was Zimra officials getting pulled out of the immediate Customs area to help test drivers further down the line, “as opposed to keeping them where they’re most needed – in the control zone”.

This morning Zambia’s efforts appeared to have substantially helped to process the backlog as the queue had shrunk to less than seven kilometres.

Fitzmaurice applauded the intervention saying not only had it helped to clear up congestion, but it was also safer for drivers in the built-up area north of the border.

Congestion at the Chirundu border could also be linked to the extreme slowing of throughput experienced at the Port of Durban, causing freight inefficiencies to ripple out north on the line into the Copperbelt, Fitzmaurice said.

Because of mounting delays experienced in Durban, transporters and shippers are increasingly diverting cargo away from the north-south corridor to the Port of Beira.

Unfortunately slow Covid-19 screening at the Forbes border post between Zimbabwe and Mozambique is also affecting ongoing back-up issues at Chirundu.

In the meantime Transnet, routinely castigated by the logistics industry for the parlous state of Durban’s port access and the attenuating effect it’s having on the port’s ability to cope, last week told a Transport Forum gathering that they were doing everything in their power to resolve long-standing issues experienced at the port.

Two of its executives, Siyabulela Mhlaluka of Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and Moshe Motlohi of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), tried their level best to rebuild some of the faith in the port’s ability, eroded by several years of corruption and chaos-causing congestion.

Harbour Carriers’ chair Sue Moodley reportedly told the officials that what they were saying and what was happening were two different things.

Fitzmaurice confirmed that what was happening on the ground was also different from the view that TPT and TNPA were managing to clear up congestion.

“We’re really struggling with Transnet. We’re regularly following up with the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) but what we’ve heard is that processes are very slow and no new cargo is being loaded. Instead they’re moving cargo into warehouses.”

Fitzmaurice said the last time he had heard there were around 42 ships anchored at sea, waiting to get berthing slots.

And as Durban dilly dallies, Beira is increasing its throughput.

“They’re absolutely pumping,” Fitzmaurice said.

If Covid-19 screening is speeded up at Forbes on the Zim-Mozambique border, with resulting build-up easing at Chirundu, volume at the Port of Beira is expected to gain further momentum.

It would be in keeping with the predictions of Jan de Vries, chief executive of concessionaire company Cornelder de Moçambique, who told freight execs in South Africa earlier this year that it was Beira’s intention to give Durban a run for its money.

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Drivers targeted in latest cross-border scam at Kasumbalesa

Logistics
Road/Rail Freight

The Copperbelt’s most important border has been flagged for another scam aimed at fleecing truck drivers.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Automated multiple entries secure declaration ease on the TKC

Logistics
Road/Rail Freight
Technology

Removing single manifest entries is a major headache for consol cargo clients transiting through Botswana.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Global air cargo demand rises

Air Freight
Logistics

But some trade lanes have experienced a decline despite increased capacity.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Bank launches new SME exporter programme

Imports and Exports
Logistics

The development platform targets black-owned SMEs with turnovers under R50 million.

Yesterday
0 Comments

SA ports switch gear, record improved performance figures

Logistics

Latest data by the CMU heralded concurrent increases of 13% and 2% above target, said Saaff.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Unitrans scoops global safety award

Logistics

The company beat about 18 000 contractors in 35 countries to clinch the top accolade.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Logistics utility creates youth opportunities

Logistics
Skills & Training

The company has invested 6% of its total procurement spend in youth-owned business over the past year.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Transnet invites bids for liquid bulk terminal

Logistics
Sea Freight

The development will include storage tanks, road tanker loading gantries and pipelines.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Arrest of Molefe and others welcomed, but long-overdue – Saftu

Africa
Economy

The workers at UCW in Nigel – a local manufacturer with proven capacity – were the primary victims, Saftu said in a statement following the arrests.

30 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Sharp increase in box losses at sea

Logistics
Sea Freight

A recurrence of last year’s losses off the Cape of Good Hope has not yet been observed in 2025.

30 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Lack of rail interoperability stymies progress

Road/Rail Freight

“The AU has called for an integrated transport sector with world-class infrastructure that crisscrosses the continent." – Mesela Nhlapo, CEO, Aria.

30 Jun 2025
0 Comments

DRC-Rwandan peace accord bodes well for Lobito Corridor

Logistics

The DRC and Rwanda have lapsed into a recurring internecine struggle in the Lake Kivu area.

30 Jun 2025
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Road & Rail 27 June 2025

Border Beat

Forum tightens net against border corruption
25 Jun 2025
Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Customs Admin Clerk

Tiger Recruitment
Blouberg - CPT
01 Jul
New

Export Controller

Lee Botti & Associates
Durban
30 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us