Zambia’s ban on maize meal exports is raising the hackles of transporters, many of whom have no recourse other than transiting through the landlocked country on the north-south route into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and back.
The ban, instituted by the government of Edgar Lungu to protect Zambia’s stock of its staple food source, means all maize meal produced elsewhere and bound for the DRC has to be escorted by police.
According to Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), Zambia Police (ZB) first said that they would escort maize-carrying trucks provided there were at least three to a convoy.
This, however, seems to have been revised whether it’s one truck or more, provided that an escort fee of 750 Zambian kwacha (R750.67) is paid per night.
“It equates to 1500 kwacha for the entire trip to the DRC’s border at Kasumbalesa as it takes at least two days to get there,” Fitzmaurice said.
Most importantly, transporters are griping that ZB aren’t giving them receipts because apparently they weren’t prepared for the ban.
“How can this be when it’s Zambia’s decision to ban the export of maize meal from its own country? Surely they should’ve made provision for it,” Fitzmaurice argued.
When FTWOnline checked with Fesarta, the ban was still in place and hauliers carrying maize bound for the DRC and not originating in Zambia were still subjected to fee-based police escorts. – Eugene Goddard
