DRC imposes new rules for hauliers

Leonard Neill DRIVERS OF transport vehicles carrying cargo destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are now required to obtain visas in Johannesburg, regardless of the country in which their passports have been issued. Previously this could be done in the country of the driver's origin. For example a driver carrying a Zambian passport could load a vehicle in Johannesburg and then proceed to his home country and obtain a visa before travelling on to the DRC. But a spokesman for Generalco, a DRC company with a Johannesburg office, has advised FTW that this situation has been changed for security reasons. DRC security regulations now insist that any cargo loaded in South Africa requires the driver to have his visa issued in this country, regardless of the country of origin of the passport. "If anything goes amiss with the cargo, or there is found to be something wrong when it arrives in DRC, then the company which loaded it in South Africa will be held responsible, and will be required to respond to investigations," said the spokesman. Visas can be issued at the Johannesburg office of the DRC embassy, but Generalco is also empowered to handle them. Whereas it can take up to three days at the embassy, Generalco says it can issue visas on the same day because the company concentrates on transport movements as opposed to general applications at the embassy. Normal visa charges are US$30 per week, but Generalco is scaling this down to a charge of $90 for one month, which also allows for multiple entries.