Africa-Press – Namibia. Cross-border truck drivers operating between Namibia’s Walvis Bay and Zambia logistics corridor have bemoaned the rising costs of transit permits charged by Zambia, which they say threatens their livelihoods and undermines regional trade.
Speaking on behalf of fellow cross-border drivers at Katima Mulilo, Nyathi Dingani, who was enroute to the DRC, said the cost of Zambia’s transit permit have risen sharply over the years.
“The idea is not really a bad one, but the cost of it has become a serious concern. To go into Zambia alone, it can take between 10 to 17 days, sometimes even 21 days. Within six months, you find the 90 days are finished,” said Dingani.
He stated that the permits, a plastic identification card issued by Zambia’s Department of Immigration, was introduced several years ago to address the 90-day visitor limit applied to foreign nationals.
Truck drivers who frequently enter and exit Zambia often exhaust those 90 days within less than two months due to long turnaround times.
While the permit was meant to cushion drivers, he said the cost has escalated dramatically to around K1,500 (approximately N$1 274.49) in 2021, and was followed by another increase to about K2,700.
The permit fees rose to roughly K3,700 and K3,900 in 2022, before it spiked to K11,250 (approximately N$9 558.68) in 2023.
No entry
Dingani said for many cross-border drivers who cannot afford the permit fees, they are denied entry at the border.
“Unless you pay for that permit, you are denied entry. You must go back to where you are coming from and in cases where trucks are loaded with goods, especially perishables goods, companies are forced to find Zambian drivers to take over. If that happens, the incumbent driver loses the job and the other driver wins the job immediately. That is why we say it is unfair,” he added.
Dingani finds the practice at the Zambian crossing point unfair and unneighbourly, arguing that Zambian truck drivers are not subjected to similar restrictions in neighbouring countries such as Namibia and others.
“In Namibia, they are not subjected to the 90 days as long as they are drivers. That is why we are calling for harmonised regional regulations in line with Africa’s free trade ambitions. We are talking about free trade and free movement of goods. With such restrictions, how are we going to achieve that?” asked Dingani.
“We are movers of the economy,” Dingani stressed, saying truck drivers play a critical role in regional economies.
“For anything to be on the shelf, it is through drivers. We deserve respect. We deserve to enjoy our work and take our earnings home to support our families — not finish it paying permits,” he said.
Engagement
Several attempts have been made by the truckers to approach corridor authorities, including the Namibian High Commission in Lusaka, and letters have also been written to relevant offices in Zambia, including the Department of Immigration.
A planned peaceful boycott on 23 February, where trucks would have been parked in protest, did not materialise due to fears of arrests and possible blacklisting. “We did not want to be violent or political. We only wanted our plea to be heard,” he said.
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