Trade has almost come to a standstill last week as Botswana protested footing the bill for cross-border transporters' Covid-19 testing alone.
Leslie Mpofu, the executive director of the Trans Kalahari Corridor Secretariat (TKCS), in an interview said Botswana last week decided they would no longer conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests of foreign drivers at the border for free.
He said the country is paying the costs alone, while other members of the corridor (South Africa and Namibia) are not contributing.
The decision, which came into effect last Thursday, caused congestion at the border between Botswana and South Africa as cross-border transporters waited in long queues for their companies and the TKCS to resolve the issue.
Mpofu said cross-border transporters were instructed to equip their drivers with PCR tests "as the landlocked country will no more test them for free".
This means drivers without negative test results will not be able to enter Botswana, and would have to obtain such certificates if they wanted to complete their journeys.
The congestion was cleared with the intervention of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta).
Fesarta managed to convince the relevant ministry in Botswana to put the suspension on hold and resume testing.
EXTRA COST
Mpofu said testing is now conducted at the border through a cost-sharing method with truckers, which involves them paying P500(N$699,7) per test.
He said even though the decision gets regional trading going "it led to extra costs incurred by cross-border transporters".
This makes trading expensive and the costs are passed on to consumers in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, as well as others utilising the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC).
Mpofu said the TKC needs structures in place to avoid such situations in the future, calling for the three governments to engage more and find solutions.
"Africa needs transit corridors to link it to ensure efficient implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)," he said.
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) relies on the TKC for cross-border volumes in and out of Namibia's primary port, Walvis Bay, which means Botswana's decision would directly affect Namibian companies and consumers.
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The Namibian spoke to WBCG chief executive officer Mbahupu Tjivikua on Wednesday, who indicated they "acknowledge that there are teething problems with various member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) when they are implementing their regulations in response to Covid-19 mitigation measures".
Tjivikua said their role is to sensitise and consult with the relevant authorities to ensure health measures do not impede trade.
"We are consulting with the government and neighboring countries as well as the SADC secretariat with regards to the implementation of appropriate measures that will curb the spread of Covid-19," he said.
Tjivikua said various shortcomings emanating from the pandemic could benefit the rolling out of the AfCFTA as neighbouring countries are learning how to engage one another in cross-border trade.
He said increased collaborative efforts would further improve and solidify government and private sector relations, leading to African countries improving their reliance on each other.
The harmonisation of border systems will affect the efficiency of the corridors and allow cargo to move faster with fewer delays, thereby increasing trade, he said.
