An important last-leg link from the developmental node of Gobabis in Namibia to its border with Botswana on the Trans-Kalahari Corridor (TKC) remains unrehabilitated, potentially compromising an expected increase of volume through a crossing that has been streamlined to speed up cargo.According to Oshoveli Hiveluah, divisional manager of Network Planning at Roads Authority Namibia, “funding shortages” are holding back upgrading of the 110-kilometre stretch of the B6 road.Speaking at a Logistics Hub Forum conference in Walvis Bay in March, he indicated that design requirements related to the upgrade were expected in June this year, provided that a new civil engineering service provider had been appointed.At the time this focus feature was under way, it could not be confirmed whether the authority had succeeded in appointing a “continuation contractor” by April.In an effort to speed up throughput between the border posts of Buitepos and Mamuno, Namibia and Botswana recently agreed to roll out certain synergies, such as the scrapping of passport control for truck drivers registered in either of the two countries.Additional progress was implemented on 1 April when the crossing commenced with 24-hour operations.The executive director for the TKC Secretariat, Leslie Mpofu, had long since advocated for this rollout, calling it “a vitally important step for bilateral trade relations between Namibia and Botswana”.Derick Mokgatle, the dry port manager for Botswana’s state-owned entity in Walvis, Sea Rail, has also said that for trade between the countries to be strengthened, Botswana and Namibia need to improve efficiencies on the TKC.But whereas Buitepos-Mamuno has become a harmonised crossing, superstructure services in the immediate vicinity are lagging behind.Coal exports from Botswana going to the Port of Walvis Bay have increased, adding strain to the B6 between Gobabis and Buitepos that most likely will only increase because of expected copper outf lows from Ghanzi in Botswana.TransNamib’s former CEO, Johny Smith, shortly before he left the rail utility to join Grindrod, said bulk ore from Ghanzi f lowing through Buitepos-Mamuno was virtually a certainty.“We definitely want that business.”What is not a certainty is whether the mooted rail link from Botswana will ever come through, joining up with the line from the port ending in Gobabis and shifting coal off the road at least.Ongoing talk around intermodal improvements in Gobabis to improve double handling from road-to-rail also indicates that the sub-par B6 will continue to carry increased bulk cargo for the time being.
