Mozambique among 34 African countries hit as Ecuador revokes visa-free transit
Huge congestion at border as trucks wait for days to enter Mozambique – AIM
8:13 CAT | 04 Jul 2023
Photo: Twitter / @realMadumane]
Trucks entering Mozambique from South Africa may now have to wait for up to five days to cross the border, although there is no similar congestion on the Mozambican side.
A customs clearance agent, Mike Barlow, cited in Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, said that, in recent days, there has been a queue of around 1,000 trucks on the South African side. The queue was about 9.6 kilometres long.
One transport operator, who declined to be identified, said “things are crazy on this side. The trucks that were waiting to enter Mozambique since Wednesday only managed to cross the border at the weekend. On average, it is taking four to five days for the cargo to be processed”.
Blame has been put at the door of the computerized systems of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). “From what we understand”, said Barlow, “it’s a problem with the SARS system. Often it stops and takes a long time to come back online”.
There has been increased traffic of South African mineral exports heading to the port of Maputo. Nonetheless, said Barlow, “I could understand a waiting period of five hours, taking into consideration the number of trucks using that border, but a wait of five days is absurd”.
Truck drivers have been obliged to sleep in their cabs, and have frequently been attacked by armed gangs. Barlow said one of his clients has withdrawn his 286 trucks from the route to Maputo.
“He is thinking of redirecting his trucks to handle local cargo, and even to take coal to the South African port of Richards Bay”, said Barlow (although Richards Bay also faces a long queue of trucks).
Service failures in South Africa cause chaos for trucks entering Mozambiquehttps://t.co/rQg1ETazU7#SouthAfrica #Mozambique #Mocambique #SADC #Trade #Freight #Economy #Business #Lebombo pic.twitter.com/tMRKVkZASS
— Club of Mozambique (@clubOmozambique) June 28, 2023
A member of the South African Transit Assistance Bureau, said that SARS is moving towards solving its problems through its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system. Cargo was now moving more quickly, he claimed, but admitted that the frontier is still “very congested”.
The situation has become so difficult that the Mozambican government, through its consulate in the eastern South African city of Nelspruit, has issued a statement warning Mozambican citizens against travelling to South Africa by road for any non-essential business.
This is not only because of the lengthy delays, but also because of the frequent criminal attacks against Mozambican vehicles, which have occurred not only near the border, but even inside Nelspruit.
READ: Mozambique: Govt advises crossing to/from South Africa from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm – full document
If Mozambicans must drive to South Africa, the consulate added, they should aim to cross the border at Ressano Garcia between 09.30 and 13.30, since at this period there is a substantial reduction in traffic. Buses and trucks travelling from Mozambique to South Africa normally aim to cross the border early in the morning or at the end of the day.
The consulate adds that both the Mozambican and South African authorities strongly advise Mozambicans against travelling along the South African roads at night.
@ligwalagwalaFM @TrafficSA Avoid/ Expect heavy delays @TRACN4route between the Strydomblok and Komatipoort intersection to the Lebombo Border #RoadClosed due to truck congestion. Queue starts at the Tenbosch/N4 junction, about 20km from the border post. pic.twitter.com/7Q2RpQF8tX
— ARoseFrom A Concrete (@realMadumane) June 7, 2023
Source: AIM
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