The important crossing of Chirundu on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, intended as a one-stop Customs exercise to alleviate transit holdup, remains constrained due to tax measures instituted north of the border in a bid to clamp down on under-declaration.
The Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta) said that the slowing of traffic passing through the border was caused by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) who despatched task teams to check on cargo once it had been cleared.
“It’s common for devious importers to under-declare this time of year, thinking they can extend their profit margins through catching Customs officials unawares,” said Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of Fesarta.
He added that when word started spreading about the task team checks on the other side of Chirundu, guilty transporters going north started delaying crossing into Zambia until such time as they heard that the coast was clear.
In the meantime Zimbabwean police prevented trucks from skipping the queue building up south of Chirundu, including those with proof of carrying pre-cleared goods but held back by trucks avoiding to cross because of ZRA policing up north.
“It’s a completely unfair situation and makes a mockery of processes and procedures,” Fitzmaurice said.
The Whatsapp-feed of Fesarta’s over-border transit assistance bureau, Transist, echoed this sentiment as it filled up with complaints from drivers who could’ve saved time had they been allowed to proceed past trucks holding back in Zimbabwe.
At one stage the queue was said to stretch for 15 kilometres south of the border into the Hurungwe safari area towards Makuti.
A video shared on the feed showed trucks standing still along the snaking, shoulder-less road.
Fitzmaurice remained in contact with the situation throughout and initiated various measures to alleviate congestion, both through interaction with officials from the ZRA and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
Traffic eventually started trickling through a little faster, largely in line with the chaos and congestion frequently experienced at Kasumbalesa, Zambia’s crossing into the DRC which, unlike Chirundu, is not a one-stop border post.
Although the flare-up of congestion at Chirundu reportedly started a few days ago, Fitzmaurice said “it has been going on for at least a month now”.
Remarking on the ZRA and Zimra’s efforts to un-block Chirundu, he said “they’re too rigid.
“There is no flexibility. They prefer to do things by the book.”
A reliable source who also tried to intervene said the issues experienced at Chirundu over the past few days “goes to show how some African countries aren’t really serious about facilitating trade across the region”.
He said that was why many private sector interests viewed the African Continental Free Trade Area, intended to create a common market across the continent, with so much criticism.
“Take southern Africa. Since 1994 we have had the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol and every year ministers meet and talk around trade and transport. But since then not one of those recommendations and guidelines have been implemented.
“The same goes for the SADC Tripartite Transit and Transport Facilitation Programme (TTTFP). We have had it since 2010 but not a single decision stemming from the TTTFP has been implemented.
“When it comes down to the crunch, these countries want to protect their own pockets.”
