Collaborative efforts are said to be the only long-term solution for the congestion facing the Kasumbalesa border, according to economic attaché for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Muzungu Docta.
As previously reported by FTW, the truck queue at the Kasumbalesa border has at times reached 72km.
This has made living conditions for the number of truck drivers extremely difficult.
Its strategically vital position, however, can hardly be overstated as it serves as a Copperbelt link for six major ports – Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Beira, Durban, Cape Town, and Walvis Bay.
According to Docta, this means that congestion “should not only be seen as a DRC problem but rather a regional problem”.
“There should be a concerted effort in dealing with the congestion at the Kasumbalesa border post.”
More than 20 000 trucks use the Kasumbalesa border each month – an estimated 800 trucks per day.
Following the implementation of extended operating hours by the DRC at the border, the queue is now said to be less than 50km (see online report elsewhere).
An estimated 450 trucks continue to clear customs daily, despite the initial goal of 700 trucks.
