Freight forwarders and clearing agents should benefit from transport infrastructure investments, says Washington Dube, chief executive officer of the Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe (SFA AZ).“Zimbabwe has experienced a lot of economic challenges. But, the government is undertaking various infrastructure projects,” he told Freight News.One of the most important is upgrading the Beitbridge border post and rehabilitating the Beitbridge-Harare Road.“Beitbridge has always been a bottleneck. The infrastructure development has seen its capacity increased five-fold, which is a potential boon for SFA AZ members.‘’This capital-intensive and state-of-the-art infrastructure needs to be fully utilised. Thus SFA AZ is calling for the government and other relevant stakeholders to have a sit-down to craft measures to ensure that traffic increases at Beitbridge and that Zimbabwe regains her status as the regional transport hub in southern Africa. ‘ ’ SFA A Z is also upbeat about the Second Republic's ongoing work to rehabilitate the Harare to Chirundu Road, which is a crucial part of the South–North Corridor," he said. The anticipated introduction of a one-stop border post at Beitbridge and other border posts was now a priority, he added.SFA AZ is encouraging the government to invest in the country’s other trade corridors as well, starting with the Nacala Corridor.Dube points out that corridors are a vehicle for economic growth through increased taxes, job creation along the corridor and collection of border and toll fees. Transit traffic creates business for local forwarders and clearing agents.“The benefit is not only in the clearing and forwarding jobs but also downstream,” he says. Truckers also support local business as they transit through the country.For now, the priority is road as the rehabilitation of the rail infrastructure is seen as a “medium- to long-term solution”.In the short term, the National Railways of Zimbabwe has allowed private operators to use their own locomotives and wagons on the rail system.There is also investment in airports. Capacity at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International has been increased from 2.5 million passengers a year to six million.There are now 19 airlines f lying into Zimbabwe following the adoption of an open skies policy.Immediate challenges identified by SFA AZ include the victimisation of Zimbabwean truckers on South African roads and the defragmentation of the clearing and forwarding sector in the country.SFA AZ is lobbying for better regulation of the clearing and forwarding sector in Zimbabwe through a code of conduct.
