Beitbridge: The port that never goes to sleep

From Page 9

Barloworld, Mac and Transnet. It is thus critical that the Beitbridge modernisation programme fits into the ideals of the NPA. In addition, the NPA is also encouraged to prioritise channelling part of the funds from Beitbridge Border Post towards the upgrading of the area and completion of other Government programmes stalled by an acute shortage of funds.

It is also important for the Ports Authority to tap into the Integrated Border Management (IBM) programme which was adopted by Government with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration in 2016. The Sunday News is reliably informed that the overall objective of the IBM programme is to contribute to the establishment of a migration governance framework (policy, institutional and legislative) in Zimbabwe.

Such a framework supports State actors to manage migration in dialogue with non-state actors and in a migrant-centred, gender-sensitive, rights upfront-based and development-oriented manner. Another critical issue the NPA should urgently look at is the implementation of the OSBP concept between Zimbabwe and South Africa at Beitbridge, which was initiated by Sadc in 2006.

In the same year, the Common Market for East and Central Africa (Comesa) identified the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia (Chirundu Border Post) for a similar initiative. However, Comesa translated their plans into action at Chirundu on 5 December, 2009. The harmonisation of operations at Chirundu has simplified the way of doing business. Sadly the dream has been proving elusive at Beitbridge due to a number of challenges, among them bureaucracy on both Zimbabwe and South African authorities. The unavailability of adequate infrastructure has been cited as one of the hindrances to the concept.

The lack of a ports authority on the part of Zimbabwe has been the greatest undoing to the take-off of the noble initiative. Under the OSBP travellers are cleared once for passage into either country. At the moment travellers have to queue twice for the same clearance processes to leave or enter Zimbabwe or South Africa.

It will also be very critical for the NPA to look into issues of rampant pollution at the border where only the export side is paved — is a ticking health time bomb, with border officials on the arrival commercial section and over 2 000 residents living directly on the west of the border risk contracting TB and other diseases. In addition to carbon toxics coming from vehicles, there is a lot of fine dust coming (rising) from this area 24 hours a day, as haulage trucks, buses and other vehicular traffic navigate through the border post.

Most people and business in Limpopo view suburb hardly open windows, despite the town’s high temperatures for fear of inhaling fine dust coming from the part of the world. Besides the border post, the town’s major water treatment plant is also located one kilometre west of the port and is not exempt from pollution. It is common knowledge that when this border was designed, it was meant to cater for minimal human and vehicular traffic oblivion of the growth due many factors including regional trade, globalisation among others.

The volume of traffic and people has been increasing each year with a total of 170 000 people, 15 000 trucks, 30 000 light vehicles and 2500 buses accessing Beitbridge Border Post per month. The Government has over a decade been trying to upgrade the port of entry into a modern urban centre without success due of a number of issues including funding and bureaucracy.

According to Zimra the border, (Beitbridge) contributes 70 percent of its revenue alone. Zimra provides 30 percent of the Government’s revenue collection, an average of $400 million annually. The coming in of the New Administration has seen things improving for the better at the border where the volume of transit cargo passing through Beitbridge increased by 48 percent in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. However, more fruitful results at Beitbridge and other ports could be recorded with the NPA in charge of operations attending to issues and when they arise. Delays at the border are attributed mainly to human resources shortages.

Currently Zimra has around 300 workers against a requirement of at least 500 to operate at full strength. This shortage of manpower has also given leeway to the current crop of Zimra officers and other border agencies to extort money from stranded travellers in order to expedite their services. Analysts believe that the lack of co-ordination and accountability of several stakeholders at the border has created a lot of room for rent-seeking and inefficiency. Until and when the Government expedites the setting up of the NPA, any efforts to improve service delivery and efficiency, without accountability and co-ordination of stakeholders will go to waste.

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