One-stop Chirundu border will provide a blueprint for the future

At Africa’s first-ever one stop border post it is not business as usual – in fact, business is better than it has ever been before. The long-awaited opening of the Chirundu one-stop border post between Zambia and Zimbabwe was finally achieved on December 5, heralding a new era for African border posts. The first of its kind, it has been a long time in the making. Identified and earmarked as the pilot phase of the one-stop border post initiative in southern Africa several years ago, Chirundu is the ideal border post to lead the way. “It has not all been smooth running,” says Barney Curtis, executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta). “Its opening was postponed several times, but it was an important process to work through because role-players now know exactly what is needed to make a one-stop border post a reality.” And while most people are expecting teething problems in the beginning, Chirundu – with its strategic location as a node of trade between southern and eastern Africa – will act as a prime example for other countries wanting to implement one-stop borders. “It is an ideal choice as a pilot site for the one-stop border control programme,” says Curtis. Speaking at the opening, Zambian president Rupiah Banda said it would certainly enhance trade between Zambia and Zimbabwe. “Reducing the time one spends at the border will reduce the cost of doing business," said Banda. “The development of the structure we are seeing today is a milestone in facilitating trade in the Comesa region and beyond.” By reducing the crossing time for trucks from three days to three hours, the Chirundu border post will save about a year in manhours every day at what is the busiest transit post in the region. It deals with 270 trucks every 24 hours.