Delays caused by Covid-19 testing protocols at SA’s busiest land borders have cost the road freight industry more than R2.5bn and has sparked a growing humanitarian crisis, warns Southern Africa’s largest transport association.
Thousands of commuters, truck drivers and holidaymakers have been stranded for up to seven days in queues stretching nearly 20km into Zimbabwe and Mozambique as people enter SA.
The border crisis, which began in December at the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe, has spread to the Lebombo border post with Mozambique, where it has been worsening over the past two weeks.
Economists warn the country can ill afford the impact from delays, which are likely to lead to transport companies shutting down.
The delays, according to the road freight industry, were caused after government introduced stringent Covid-19 testing protocols for travellers entering SA. The regulations were introduced as the country battles a second wave of infections, with the death toll crossing the 33,000 mark.
In response, says the road freight industry, the governments of Mozambique and Zimbabwe have reciprocated by introducing stringent testing protocols for travellers leaving their countries and entering SA, compounding the delays.
Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations, said delays at the Beitbridge border post between December 3 and December 29 cost the transport sector R2.5bn.
“That means the sector endured losses of R98m per day.
“Because of delays at the Lebombo border post between January 3 and January 9, the sector sustained further losses of R166m. That means the sector lost R33m a day. These delays are continuing. so the losses are mounting.”
He said the losses did not cover the transporters’ liability to their clients for late deliveries, late loading on return trips, losses due to theft and looting while standing in unsecured queues, and spoiled perishables.
“Many small transporters will not be able to absorb these costs and may be forced to close their business due to the excessive losses.”
He said at the height of the delays at the Beitbridge border post, vehicles queued two lanes deep, with queues stretching up to 20km into Zimbabwe and 15km in SA.
Fitzmaurice said delays had been caused by the health department insisting on travellers having negative PCR test results not older than 72 hours.
“Travellers who do not have valid PCR tests, which cost R880 per test, have to take antigen tests at the border post.
“Antigen tests... on the SA side of the border cost R170, with PCR tests in Maputo costing R1,000.”
The difference in costs, he said, meant massive congestion at the Lebombo border post with people overwhelming health officials in their effort to take the cheaper test. Polymerise chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing are the dominant ways global healthcare systems are testing citizens for Covid-19.
“The congestion on the Mozambique side of the border has trucks queuing for 20km, with the queues four lanes wide. Trucks take four days to cross into SA.”
Fitzmaurice said trucks leaving SA for Mozambique were queuing for two days because of delays.
He said while the delays for trucks to leave SA for Zimbabwe had decreased dramatically, “a humanitarian crisis is developing at the Lebombo border post”.
“This requires urgent high-level negotiations between the SA and Mozambique governments to resolve.”
Gavin Kelly, Road Freight Association CEO, said it would be impossible to make up for such losses.
“These are permanent, and will lead to job losses and ultimately impact the consumer’s pocket with the rising cost in transport being passed on to the shopper.”
He said as long as debilitating factors, such as testing protocols, existed the losses would continue.
“Any delay which impedes the movement of goods across borders impacts our economy.”
Kelly said the true effect of the border chaos on the transport sector would be seen in February at the end of the financial year.
“It’s already a hellish nightmare for many trucking companies. At the beginning of lockdown in March, 10 of our members shut shop.
“The border chaos has seen numbers rise now. If the border movement requirements become worse, like they are between Mozambique and SA with the non-acceptance of Covid-19 tests and differing testing protocols, then we are in real trouble.”
He said because of the border chaos many of their members had stopped their transnational operations.
“The delays have become an operations nightmare for transport companies.”
Political economist Daniel Silke said the violent xenophobic truck strike in November and the border delays were “a double whammy” for the road freight industry.
“The financial losses from both will cost the sector and ultimately the economy dearly.
“These are losses, especially of jobs, which the country can ill afford. The land freight sector is critical to ensuring SA’s economic survivability and undermines economic progress at a time we need it the most.”
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