An urgent call has gone out from the logistics industry to help truck drivers stranded at South Africa’s Nakop Border Post into Namibia because of a power failure that has disrupted traffic processing at the transit west of Upington since yesterday.
To make matter worse, the crossing’s back-up isn’t working.
Speaking to the Transit Assistance Bureau (Transist), a member of the bureau who’s on the ground at the border described the situation as “scandalously helpless.
“Police and Department of Home Affairs (DHA) officials don’t know who’s in charge. There is no food and ablution facilities for the drivers stranded there.”
The source said because of the drivers now crowding at the border, Covid protocols had gone out the window.
Mike Fitzmaurice from the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), has confirmed the Transist informant’s concerns.
“We have a disaster at Nakop,” he said.
“Power has been out since yesterday and there’s no resolution as to when it will be restored. The back-up generator has not been functional since December last year.”
Fesarta’s chief executive added that a massive queue had built up with drivers stranded without water in temperatures of 40 degrees and over.
He also said that there were a number of refrigerated trucks in the queue carrying perishable goods and medical supplies and the refrigerator units were running low on diesel.
“This is a crisis and needs urgent intervention.”
