Covid-19 testing results in ‘massive congestion’.
By Paul Richardson, Bloomberg
7 Jan 2021 14:00
Image: Sharon Seretlo, Gallo Images via Getty Images
Measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in South Africa are causing major congestion at key border points, including the crossing to Mozambique thatâs a key conduit for chrome shipments.
Queues of trucks traveling to Mozambique from South Africa stretch back about 7 kilometres and twice that distance on the other side of the frontier, said Mike Fitzmaurice, chief executive officer of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations. About 80% of the cargo handled by South African haulers crossing at Lebombo is chrome, he said in response to questions on Thursday.
COVID-19 Protocols Cause Life Threatening Delays At Lebombo Border Image credit: EWN
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“The situation here is bad – very, very bad,” says one of the thousands of truck drivers stranded at the Lebombo border crossing station in Komatipoort, Mpumalanga. With truck queues now stretching more than 25 kms and soaring temperatures often exceeding 32 degrees, lives and livelihoods are at stake. The life-threatening delay is due to the COVID-19 protocols that have been implemented by the South African government. The Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (FESARTA) and the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) have again called on Government to work more closely with the Associations when implementing the COVID -19 protocols in order to alleviate the devastating effect on travellers businesses and the economy at large.
How COVID-19 Testing Has Caused a Humanitarian Crisis at Africa s Busiest Border
Fifteen people died over the Christmas period while waiting to enter Zimbabwe.
Why Global Citizens Should Care
As citizens travel between South Africa and Zimbabwe, crossing the border has been met with delays caused by COVID-19 testing procedures. This has seen thousands of citizens wait for an average of four days to access both countries. A lack of water and sanitation facilities, along with little space to adhere to social distancing, have also made the border vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. The United Nations’ Global Goal 3 calls for good health and well-being, and this goal can only be achieved if effective measures are put in place to manage travel between countries during a global pandemic. Join the movement and take action on this issue here.
Calls to ease life-threatening congestion at Lebombo border it-online.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from it-online.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Transport, freight bodies call on government to heed lessons from Beitbridge chaos
The Federation of Eastern and Southern African Road Transport Associations (FESARTA) and the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) - key players in the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), have called on government for a public-private partnership (PPP) to prevent future disasters similar to the chaos that recently took place at the Beitbridge border post on the Zimbabwe border.
Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO, FESARTA“Government did not consult with industry bodies: it took a unilateral decision to impose stringent Covid-19 testing at the border posts, which resulted in more than 20km queues on both sides of the border. They only took heed of our proposals once the situation became dire,” says FESARTA CEO Mike Fitzmaurice.