Stakeholders to look into truck processing at Lebombo Border
Truck drivers started gathering at the port on Saturday evening and by Sunday had blocked off the entry point to the border.
It appears to be business as usual at the Lebombo Border Post following a protest by masses of trucks on Sunday and Monday.
South African truckers and transporters are frustrated with the alleged inadequate flow and processing of trucks at the border, as well as other vehicles jumping the queue. The protest followed months of complaints by the drivers.
Truck drivers started gathering at the port on Saturday evening and by Sunday had blocked off the entry point to the border.
By Monday morning, a winding line of trucks 19 kilometres long had formed, with drivers trying to speak to the dry port manager in hopes of resolving the issues.
Dion Gregory, ops supervisor with Unitrans Africa, said the main grievances is queue jumping.
“Some of the drivers sit in the queues to get across the border for up to three days and then they see people jumping the queue who only have to wait an hour to gain entry into Mozambique,” said Gregory.
By Monday afternoon, however, Gregory said the SANDF and police had come to the scene and told truck drivers to move their vehicles from the N4 leading up to the border post.
Border post port manager Col Obed Maditsi said the truck drivers had been misinformed regarding the processing of trucks and that it took less than a minute to process them.
“We explained to them that the processing does not take long and described it to them in detail,” said Maditsi.
“Whatever problems truck drivers have entering South Africa from the Mozambique side cannot be helped by us, as it is not our jurisdiction.”
He added that they would also be looking at the allegations of queue jumping and address the situation.
He said the long queues at the border were normal and that there should be a bit more patience on the road as everyone trying to cross the border has to wait.
The interim management of the Komatipoort Business Chamber (KBC) facilitated a discussion of the crisis on July 23 with Gregory and Philemon Ngcongwane, ops manager of Amalgamated Bulk, subdivision of RTG, representing the truck users passing through the Lebombo Border Post, Bridget Maloka of provincial traffic, Dolf Stassen of Home Affairs Immigration stationed at the border post, and Jan Engelbrecht, John and Caroline O’Reilly and Richard Williams of KBC.
The issues discussed were why the border post could not be open 24/7, inadequate staff and equipment in some stations at the border post, insufficient traffic law enforcement, and a view to the future planning of government to address these.
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The challenge is to enable smooth, consistent and effective continued flow of trucks through the border, urgently, and if possible, with no stacking at all.
If that fails, effective shortstops along with effective law enforcement is the alternative, said Engelbrecht, the spokesperson for the facilitators.
Gregory added that if gates are open 24/7 and vehicles are stopped from jumping the queue, 90% of the issues would be resolved.
