Fesarta to close its doors?

Last week’s surprise
announcement that the
Federation of East and
Southern African Road
Transport Associations
(Fesarta) could close its doors
at the end of February has
sent shock waves through the
industry.
Executive director Barney
Curtis, who has headed up
the organisation for the past
15 years and played a crucial
role in a range of regional
transport negotiations, will
end his association with the
organisation on February 28.
“After that date I will carry
out the necessary functions,
as required by the Fesarta
members to either hand the
association over to a different
scenario or to close it down.
As I don’t have guidance yet,
the way forward is still to be
determined,” he told FTW.
The announcement
triggered a flurry of
emails from around the
continent calling for clarity
on succession plans and
underscoring the critical
role that Fesarta has played
and needs to play in regional
harmonisation. But without
the funds, the organisation
cannot continue – and that’s
the crux of the issue.
It’s been an uphill battle
since inception and Curtis has
tried a number of options –
from corporate membership
to overseas funding – but
neither has produced the
necessary results. The
organisation has therefore
relied on revenue derived
from membership fees from
the 14 member countries to
cover basic necessities.
The SA Road Freight
Association pays $1300 a year
in membership fees. As the
biggest association, Curtis
believes it should have been
making a more substantial
contribution, but this was
an RFA Board decision, said
RFA spokesman Gavin Kelly.
Along with the rest
of the industry Kelly
acknowledges the relevance
of the organisation. “We need
someone who has knowledge
of operating in those
countries,” he told FTW. But
as to the way forward, there
are no answers right now.
“As things stand we’ll
have to make sure we
keep in contact with our
neighbouring associations
and deal with issues and
problems on an ad hoc
basis. This may change if
someone is prepared to
fund it, but getting funding
from corporates or overseas
agencies hasn’t been
successful.”
Right now Curtis wants to
make sure that he leaves the
organisation in good order.
“It has incredible potential
and I want to make sure that
it keeps going,” he told FTW.
“Anyone who takes it on
needs to do so voluntarily
until adequate funding,
from whatever sources, is
sufficient to pay reasonable
remuneration. You need
someone who can make it
sustainable without relying
on membership.”
For the past 15 years, Curtis
has been driven by passion
and commitment and has
earned huge industry respect
for his efforts.
The organisation has
closely monitored problems
faced by truckers along the
main corridors, border issues
and legislation related to Non-
Tariff Barriers – but it’s in the
area of harmonisation that it
has made huge inroads.
“Fesarta has become
an important part of
the architecture for the
achievement of regional
integration in the Tripartite
of Comesa, EAC and SADC,”
said Lovemore Bingandadi,
technical adviser of the
Tripartite, Transport
and Trade Facilitation
Programme [TTTFP],
based in Botswana.
“We need to be assured
of continuity. Should
Fesarta fail to provide such
continuity, then there is the
risk that 15 years of efforts
that have been invested
at great cost will be in
jeopardy.”
“Barney is Fesarta and
Fesarta is Barney,” SA
Shippers’ Council CEO
Brenda Horne-Ferreira told
FTW.
“He deserves all the
possible accolades for the 15
years that Fesarta has been a
loud and knowledgeable voice
for truckers across borders.
“What will it take to
understand that alone as
individuals, corridors and
associations we will not be
as successful as we can be
when we work together?”
While Curtis has made
no firm decisions about his
future plans, the editorial
team at FTW will miss his
informed and articulate
commentary on issues
of relevance across the
African continent.