Curfew causes chaos at SA border
Ronelle Rademeyer
WINDHOEK
Namibia is experiencing a shortage of essential supplies such as food, pharmaceuticals and vehicle parts on the brink of the festive season due to massive congestion of freight traffic at southern border posts.
The problem started last Monday after the South African department of home affairs introduced a curfew that prevents border crossings between 00h00 and 04h00.
Later, a power outage at the Nakop border post next to Ariamsvlei on the Namibian side worsened the issue as cargo control could not take place.
On Friday, the queue in which hundreds of trucks waited to bring cargo into Namibia was more than 10 km long, those at the scene testified.
Frustrated
Stephan Terblanche of FP du Toit Transport said the transport ministry was briefed on the crisis and asked to intervene.
"One of the biggest frustrations of Covid-19 for transporters was not the pandemic, but the inability of the state machinery to communicate decisions quickly,” Terblanche told Namibia Media Holdings yesterday.
He said the curfew was lifted on Friday, but the queues at Nakop remained long yesterday.
Jaco Snyders, a Namibian truck driver who transports manganese, said the mood among truck drivers was sour.
"It's a mess. The guys [truck drivers] are irritated. There is no food, water and toilet facilities here.
"I have been waiting for another 23 hours to cross the border, after waiting so long on Friday. The guys' patience is running out. Some truck drivers do not want to wait and push in front of the queue… A fight has already broken out here," he said.
Would rather drive further
Meanwhile, Terblanche said the situation at Vioolsdrift was similar to that at Nakop.
Truck drivers have to wait so long for Covid-19 results at the Botswana border posts that most use Nakop when they bring cargo from Gauteng or KwaZulu-Natal to Namibia, despite it being 400 km further to drive around Upington, he said.
On Saturday, Botswana's health ministry announced that its government has decided not to conduct Covid-19 tests at border posts until 12 December.
"The lifting is to ensure the free flow of essential goods to Botswana and other countries in the region," the notice said.
Truck drivers should, however, be able to show that they tested negative for Covid-19 no later than 72 hours ago.
WINDHOEK
Namibia is experiencing a shortage of essential supplies such as food, pharmaceuticals and vehicle parts on the brink of the festive season due to massive congestion of freight traffic at southern border posts.
The problem started last Monday after the South African department of home affairs introduced a curfew that prevents border crossings between 00h00 and 04h00.
Later, a power outage at the Nakop border post next to Ariamsvlei on the Namibian side worsened the issue as cargo control could not take place.
On Friday, the queue in which hundreds of trucks waited to bring cargo into Namibia was more than 10 km long, those at the scene testified.
Frustrated
Stephan Terblanche of FP du Toit Transport said the transport ministry was briefed on the crisis and asked to intervene.
"One of the biggest frustrations of Covid-19 for transporters was not the pandemic, but the inability of the state machinery to communicate decisions quickly,” Terblanche told Namibia Media Holdings yesterday.
He said the curfew was lifted on Friday, but the queues at Nakop remained long yesterday.
Jaco Snyders, a Namibian truck driver who transports manganese, said the mood among truck drivers was sour.
"It's a mess. The guys [truck drivers] are irritated. There is no food, water and toilet facilities here.
"I have been waiting for another 23 hours to cross the border, after waiting so long on Friday. The guys' patience is running out. Some truck drivers do not want to wait and push in front of the queue… A fight has already broken out here," he said.
Would rather drive further
Meanwhile, Terblanche said the situation at Vioolsdrift was similar to that at Nakop.
Truck drivers have to wait so long for Covid-19 results at the Botswana border posts that most use Nakop when they bring cargo from Gauteng or KwaZulu-Natal to Namibia, despite it being 400 km further to drive around Upington, he said.
On Saturday, Botswana's health ministry announced that its government has decided not to conduct Covid-19 tests at border posts until 12 December.
"The lifting is to ensure the free flow of essential goods to Botswana and other countries in the region," the notice said.
Truck drivers should, however, be able to show that they tested negative for Covid-19 no later than 72 hours ago.
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