Contingency plan in place if Zim erupts

THE SOUTHERN African transport community has put in place a contingency plan in case of violence erupting in Zimbabwe following the disputed re-election of Robert Mugabe as president. The problem is that the road route over Beit Bridge and across Zimbabwe is the main thoroughfare for southern African truckers to-and-from the further-north neighbours like Zambia and Malawi. And if social violence erupted in Zimbabwe and this route became impassable, then the sub-Saharan region’s main north-south corridor would be lost. However, the Federation of Eastern and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta) has anticipated this situation, and has proactively come up with a plan to overcome it, according to Fesarta executive, Barney Curtis. “We are making arrangements with Botswana if things do go wrong in Zimbabwe,” he told FTW. “With the ‘third country’ rules being waived in Botswana, foreignregistered vehicles would be able to transit that country on their way north or south.” And Fesarta has a verbal agreement that this will be feasible. “We have been led to understand that the Botswana traffic authorities will be allowed to waive the restrictive third country rules if that is required,” Curtis added.