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.