Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has lashed out at the Zimbabwean Government for causing congestion at the Beitbridge border post.
He said that the actions of the Zimbabwean Government of unilaterally levying toll fees of over US$300 on trucks violate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Dr Motsoaledi said that he has been trying to ring the Zimbabwean Home Affairs Minister but he is failing to get hold of him.
There are huge queues at the border extending for kilometers.
In the past two weeks, trucks drivers were spending four to seven days to leave or enter Zimbabwe due to heavy congestion at Sadc’s busiest inland port.
The delays heightened at the opening of the new freight terminal where traffic flow had teething challenges relating to tolling and coordination among the critical border stakeholders.
Truck drivers staged a passive protest, complaining about the new high border access fees of an average US$200 per truck without matching services.
Some drivers were reportedly entering the border without processing their customs documents thereby blocking those with pre-cleared cargo.
Early this year, South Africa’s Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza said they had plans to improve the road and other infrastructure at the Beitbridge border to address long-standing challenges including congestion.
Nzuza said the government put strict health measures in place to deal with the influx of foreign nationals.
