Transporters have been encouraged to keep moving their trucks towards borders between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following reports of soldiers from Kolwezi beating and arresting truck drivers.
This comes after voice notes and messages from the Southern African Development Community Truck Drivers Association president Stephen Mande circulated on WhatsApp, calling for the closure of all borders between Zambia and the DRC with effect from May 4. He called for the closure of borders in protest against the implementation of a new scanner system at the Kasumbalesa border post and after soldiers allegedly intimidated and beat several truck drivers.
“Soldiers from Kolwezi went and started beating truck drivers, and three drivers for SABOT reported arrested, and no one knows where about them (sic),” an unsigned message on social media read.
The message said after the arrests the drivers’ trucks had been stranded along the Kolwezi - Likasi road, which leads to the Kasumbalesa border. It said truck drivers felt betrayed by transporters.
A second voice note that was circulating on social media this week alleged that checkpoints had been placed outside mines and on the roads and cartels were allegedly attempting to extort payments of $150 from truck drivers.
A reliable source in the transport sector in the SADC region confirmed that the messages that had been circulating reflected the reality on the ground but said that trucks had been able to cross border posts normally since the morning of Thursday, May 4. However, the reasons for the arrest of the drivers remain unclear at this stage.
“These are true stories. The DRC government is working on averting the looming strike. Encourage your members’ drivers to continue moving without intimidation,” the source confirmed on Thursday.
Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta) chief executive Mike Fitzmaurice said the association was working with the government to resolve transporters’ concerns.
“The situation in Katanga Province in DRC is untenable for drivers and transporters and needs serious political will to change the narrative in the region,” Fitzmaurice said.
“Fesarta is working behind the scenes with the political hierarchy to make that change, but I can't say too much about that at this stage as there is still a lot of leg work to be done before we can make a positive breakthrough.”
The rising demand for electric vehicles has boosted the global demand for copper and cobalt – which are used in their batteries – to be exported from the region where two of the world’s top producers of copper are located.
