Southern Africa truck drivers raise the alarm over worsening congestion at Kazungula border

The Southern Africa Truck Drivers Association of Zambia (SATDAZ) has raised the alarm over worsening congestion and deteriorating humanitarian conditions at the Kazungula One-Stop Border Post, saying truck drivers were being forced to spend days on queues without access to basic sanitation facilities.

Association Secretary General, Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, said the congestion had reached unprecedented levels, with queues stretching deep into the Botswana side of the border and creating serious health and safety concerns for drivers.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, Wamunyima said the situation was particularly concerning because some drivers were forced to spend several days in designated parking areas within or near game reserves, where access to toilets and other basic amenities remained limited.

“The situation was contrary to expectations that the Kazungula Bridge would transform regional trade by eliminating bottlenecks and facilitating the rapid movement of cargo across borders,” he said.

Wamunyima attributed the continued delays partly to what he described as an unsupportive operational culture among border officials on both the Zambian and Botswana sides.

He cautioned that border personnel and truck drivers should operate as partners in facilitating regional trade, rather than encourage practices that undermined the dignity and welfare of commercial drivers.

Meanwhile, SATDAZ has also raised concern over recent operational and clearing measures introduced by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), which it believed have contributed to the worsening congestion at the border.

“Although documentation and clearance largely fall under the responsibility of clearing agents, ZRA processing workflows and system verification procedures remain a major source of delays,” Wamunyima said.

He called for the urgent introduction of off-site truck parking facilities where non-sensitive cargo and transit goods could be temporarily held under ZRA supervision.

Wamunyima urged ZRA to inspect and identify suitable truck parks outside the main border area to accommodate trucks and decongest the main transit corridor.

He further called for authorities on both sides of the border to improve customer service and ensure that commercial drivers are treated with professionalism and respect.

Wamunyima also appealed for the immediate provision of temporary sanitation facilities along the Botswana-side queuing line to address the humanitarian challenges facing drivers.

“While SATDAZ understands the statutory responsibilities and operational constraints faced by ZRA, trade facilitation should not come at the expense of human dignity or economic efficiency,” he said.

He has since called on ZRA management and its counterparts in Botswana to engage transport industry stakeholders and urgently implement measures aimed at restoring the smooth movement of cargo through the Kazungula border.

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