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Notícias
Hundreds of trucks are stuck in queues for days waiting to cross the Machipanda border in Manica on their way to or from neighbouring Zimbabwe, leaving drivers vulnerable to criminal gangs and their nerves stretched to breaking point.
Excessive bureaucracy in Zimbabwean customs clearance is allegedly to blame.
According to information provided by the Mozambican customs authorities to the Commander-in-Chief of Police, Bernardino Rafael, a truck is processed every five minutes on the Mozambican side of the border, but on the Zimbabwean side the same procedure takes between thirty to forty minutes.
Due to this slowness in customs clearance, the line of waiting trucks is four to five kilometres long, threatening the safety of drivers who are forced to wait long hours for clearance. Many of the drivers are Mozambicans, who also complain about the absence of hygiene and accommodation facilities in the area.
For Commander Rafael, one of the first priorities is to reinforce security to protect truckers from potential criminals attracted to the border. Rafael also recommends interaction with the Zimbabwean authorities in order to expedite the process and minimise constraints in order to avoid people being delayed at the border beyond the time planned for the trip.
“We know that truckers are carrying money and other valuable goods, including merchandise, so there is an urgent need to strengthen security measures and find ways to speed up customs clearance. We cannot allow lines of lorries kilometres long to build up, putting people’s lives at risk. We must study other ways to enable customs clearance, such as a dry port, in order to get things moving,” Commander Rafael said.
To address the delays, Mozambique and Zimbabwe customs authorities are studying the possibility of extending operations to 24 hours, although Mozambican authorities say that it will not be enough to extend the hours of operation without improving and streamlining clearance procedures.
The PRM Commander-in-Chief’s visit to the Machipanda border concludes his working visit to Manica, which included rallies and parades. Today, Commander Rafael visits the province of Sofala.
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