Petty theft and pilferage are continuing to delay transporters and raise the cost of crossborder trade, says Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta). “Tarpaulins, batteries and spare wheels are frequently stolen,” he says. “Periodically, drivers are accosted and cell phones and cash are taken.” He says pilferage occurs when trucks are stationary – waiting in long queues at the likes of Kasumbalesa in the DRC, where little to no security is available. Still, the pilfering of cargo in Africa is not as big of an issue as it is in South Africa, where it’s commonplace for thieves to climb onto the back of moving trucks, cut tarpaulins and throw cargo out for their accomplices to retrieve. He adds that it’s difficult to measure the extent of the pilferage. “It can be smallscale or large-scale, or even the entire load if the truck overturns or is stopped. No-one really knows what or how much is being stolen.” Fitzmaurice says cell phone tower and electric gate motor batteries, as well as gate motors stolen in South Africa and taken cross-border, are hot ticket items for criminals. “Longlasting lithium batteries are extremely sought after in rural areas.” South African operators in South Africa remain the most vulnerable and, while any of the country’s national roads are susceptible to theft, isolated areas with minimal police presence, such as Kokstad, Paddock and the stretch of highway near Port Shepstone, are particularly risky. He says it would be extremely costly to create a special task force to deal with the issue. “I don’t know that transporters can afford to pay for it at the moment, given that profit margins are so tight. Transport rates are low and cross-border charges are high. Operators transporting precious commodities to South Africa are fairly safe along the North/South corridor. But, when they reach South Africa, they require expensive armed escorts.”
INSERT Electric gate motor batteries are hot ticket items for criminals. – Mike Fitzmaurice
