Trade between Southern African nations is a desired objective and has been for decades since the signing of the SADC Protocol on Transport and Meteorology by all member states of the Southern African Development Community.However, at the Federation of East and Southern African Transport Associations (Fesarta), various transport problems hinder its implementation.Fesarta aims to facilitate trade in the region, but it has many projects that do not see the light of day, to the detriment of regional trade and beyond.With regard to the future of transport in the region, problems extend from border crossing challenges that included the lack of harmonisation of documentation to effect smooth movement.The lack of an integrated and liberalised road transport market in the East and Southern African (EA-SA) region poses numerous obstacles to trade by causing severe delays and increased transport costs as well as challenges to road safety and durabilit y.This programme, which builds on previous actions, for example the above-mentioned SADC Protocol, addresses these challenges through the implementation of harmonised road transport policies, laws, regulations, systems and standards that affect drivers, loads, vehicles and road infrastructure in the countries of the EA-SA region.The slow progress of the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, an intrinsic part of the SADC Protocol, is frustrating, for the entire process slows, if not stalls, the entire delivery chain.The Lebombo border post between South Africa and Mozambique is a case in point.It remains a major headache as an often-preferred alternative route through to the Port of Maputo for certain products.The port is also used to skirt obvious congestion problems experienced at Durban, South Africa’s principal trading port.Then there are also hinterland issues.If you look at the border post between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Kasumbalesa – on the vital North-South Corridor linking Durban to the mining-rich areas of the DRC – we have experienced delays of up to 90 kilometres of vehicles trying to get through.You cannot factor in that sort of delay to schedules and on-the-road time for vehicles, which is vital for a transporter’s viability.Apart from this, there are also serious security issues facing long-distance truckers.Drivers and vehicles are often subjected to immediate dangers of theft, violent robbery that has led to loss of life in the Copperbelt, and socio-economic ills such as solicitation by sex workers.Trucks are a magnet for criminals and it is affecting the wellbeing of the industry as a whole.This was borne out by Nicci Scott-Anderson, chief executive officer of the Commercial Transport Academy, who said long periods on the road, particularly if there were delays, also introduced the element of stress and, along with it, driver depression.She has said that this depression has not been absorbed into the thinking of companies, and yet people who are controlling rigs and cargoes worth millions of rands ignore this vital aspect of their business.It places a lot of pressure on the drivers who have to handle delays along the way, trying to meet delivery or pick up schedules and be responsible for the cargo all the time.Many drivers have to operate alone and so cannot share the load or loneliness of long trips – particularly long distance, she has said. The problems of harmonised document control is also a major problem.Not so much in terms of language for countries with a different lingua franca – Francophone or Lusophone for countries like the DRC and Mozambique for example – but more specifically because of systems that are not harmonised.The modern way is to have customs clearing and related border control and taxation requirements done electronically.If there is an interruption to the free-f low of cargo, there is going to be a problem. On top of all the other delays, administrative requirements the old-fashioned way can be avoided through digitised synchronisation. However, it presupposes a uniformity of the technological capacity to make it all work seamlessly, which does not exist at present.Overall, the harmonisation mismatches are made worse given the lack of proper infrastructure.Things as simple as a weighbridge calibration can be a problem when a load in one country is legal but then f lagged as illegal in another country.It places tremendous pressure on drivers who are often not allowed to continue unless they pay a fine, more often than not payable on the spot and in cash, in other words a bribe
