KATIMA MULILO – Cabinet has approved a series of short- and long-term measures aimed at alleviating the heavy cargo truck congestion at the Wenela border post near Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region.

The border post started operating 24 hours in August 2023 and the increased traffic has led to clearance delays, forcing truck drivers to spend days lining up at the border post.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, in a media statement recently said the approved short-term solutions include implementing a pre-clearance system to process necessary documents before trucks arrive and establishing a Namibian truck drivers’ association to facilitate dialogue between border agencies and drivers.

Other short-term solutions are ensuring 24-hour simultaneous operation of both the weighbridge and the border post; and the diplomatic removal of existing processing restrictions.

The long-term interventions, the minister said, include the introduction of a “one-stop border post” between Namibia and Zambia, the development of a truck port facility, and the relocation of the weighbridge away from the town centre to prevent congestion.

Earlier this year, a Namibian delegation led by Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRa) officials and representatives from various border agencies attended a joint technical committee meeting in Sesheke, Zambia.

The meeting focused on the operationalisation of the “one-stop border post” between Namibia and Zambia as outlined in the bilateral agreement of 21 June 2024 between the two countries.

– Nampa