Moroccan NGO Union Africaine des Organisations des Transports et de la Logistique (UAOTL) has officially endorsed the founder of the Transit Assistance Bureau (Transist), Mike Fitzmaurice, as its representative for the Maputo Corridor.
Mustapha Chaoune, who heads up the UAOTL from Marrakech, said the decision was based on the work that had been done through Fesarta (Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations), and Transist.
He said interest shown by stakeholders involved with the N4 cargo corridor linking South Africa with the Port of Maputo, clearly illustrated the “credibility and impact” Fitzmaurice had established to troubleshoot trade-corridor issues on behalf of cross-border operators.
Chaoune said this had especially become apparent in recent times through Transist’s involvement on the North-South Corridor, running from South Africa through Zimbabwe to mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It was a foregone conclusion for Fitzmaurice, who, apart from heading up Transist, also serves as vice-president for the UAOTL in Sub-Saharan Africa, to grow in his current role.
Chaoune said the one-stop border post (OSBP) consultant’s “actions are fully aligned with the African Union’s objectives in regional integration and trade facilitation”.
Fitzmaurice can rely on the UAOTL’s “strategic backing in principle, in accordance with the African Union’s frameworks and coordination mechanisms”.
Certain measures have already been implemented to assist road freight concerns on the Maputo Corridor, which has become notorious for disruption at border posts of Lebombo (SA) and Ressano Garcia (Mozambique).
These include a WhatsApp group for the corridor, enabling Transist members immediate access to crucial correspondence and information relative to freight and trade on the N4 crossing at Komatipoort.
