Transporters whose trucks avoid holding bays and instead park at the Forbes Border Post, which Zimbabwe shares with Mozambique, will face the “full might of the law”, according to the Zimbabwean Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba.
This follows her impromptu visit to the border post late last week after receiving an “overwhelming number” of complaints since late last year. She said she had already communicated with other stakeholders, including law enforcement agents, customs and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority authorities to start implementing the “stringent measures”.
Since October last year, transporters have highlighted the “over 15-kilometre-long queues” of trucks awaiting clearance and drivers refusing to park in the holding bays.
“We are saying Zimbabwe is open for business and whoever sees this congestion and chaos at the border post will not agree that we are serious about what we are saying,” said Gwaradzimba, conceding that there had been “very little law enforcement” around this in the past but that this was no longer the case.
"I realised that there was very little enforcement of rules because some of the truck drivers come and queue, making two lanes and obstructing other vehicles. We have agreed that police should enforce rules so that there will be a single lane,” she said.
