LAST WEEK saw the formal signing in Walvis Bay of a Memorandum of Understanding by the transport ministers of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana approving a single customs document for through traffic on the Trans Kalahari Corridor. The transport route, launched jointly by the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) three years ago, has been transformed from its ‘White Elephant’ status to an acceptable and valuable asset to all involved, said Namibia’s Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Moses Amweelo. Transport costs in SADC have compared unfavourably with the rest of the world, he said, constituting 20-40% of the cost of imported goods, compared to 5% globally. “This must now improve for the better, and the Corridor can assist in this respect,” he said.
