Vicious cycle of corruption continues

After a difficult 2009, freight forwarders and transporters are cautiously optimistic about the coming year. Transworld Road Freight says while volumes may have only picked up slightly in recent months, the company remains optimistic that cross-border volumes will grow significantly in the next few months. “The recession affected our crossborder projects greatly and turnover was down. In many African countries there were many mining companies that closed and all of this impacted heavily on cross-border operations and on the flow of traffic,” a spokesman said. Add to this the lack of the usual “silly season” and an increase in volumes is needed for 2010. “We were busy toward the end of the year, but not in comparison with the previous year. We are however confident that things will pick up and that 2010 will be a better year than the last.” Mainly transporting between South Africa and Namibia, Transworld Road Freight has seen much improvement in Africa’s infrastructure and border post operations. “A major concern remains corruption, which is not being addressed at all,” says the spokesman. “Most operators just pay the money asked and bill it into their charges so that a vicious cycle just continues and the expectation is that everyone must pay.” Another problem he said, was the lack of fencing along the Trans Kalahari, especially in Botswana where animals are allowed to migrate freely. “Ironically the problem is not the game, but rather the domesticated animals such as donkeys, horses and goats that are causing very dangerous conditions.”