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Truck drivers protest at the Lebombo border post in Mpumalanga

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Truck drivers, who are concerned with delays at the Lebombo Border Post in Mpumalanga, have embarked on protest action. They accuse border officials of giving preferential treatment to certain truck drivers, while others are forced to spend several days, before being cleared at the border.

The disgruntled drivers stopped trucks travelling to Mozambique on Monday evening. They are concerned with delays at the Lebombo Border Post. They say, at times, they spend more than three days at this port of entry before being cleared. They allege that this is because officials prioritise certain trucks. They have vowed that no truck will cross over to Mozambique until their concerns are addressed.

“We are complaining because of SARS, they are not taking us seriously as truck drivers. The procedure is always fast for the tankers but slow for the side tipper trucks. But when we coming from Maputo there is no delay, they take all the trucks serious,” says a truck driver.

 

“When put someone on the parking while others are allowed to move that is unfair. There is bribe here,  because how do you allow someone to stay in the parking for three days?” says another driver.

“Where we are parking there are no toilets and showers,” adds another driver.

SARS Customs Senior Manager at the Lebombo Border Post, Memory Ndou says truck drivers are not forced to park at the kilometre seven-truck stop before being cleared. She believes the truck drivers are being misled.

“The SARS processes are as follows: declaring agent do the declaration electronically,  then they would wait to proceed to port. So the truck, while waiting for that process, would then proceed to the port. So there is nothing that compels truck drivers from SARS processes to go and park at kilometre seven. They can proceed to the port and kilometre seven. Part of it is only used for inspection for SARS,” says Ndou.

Lebombo Border Post Manager, Obed Maditsi says a lot is being done to minimise delays at this port of entry.

“For the past few weeks and few months, we have seen an increased number of truckers that are using this port of entry to cross to Maputo. We’re also working tirelessly with other departments to ensure that we can facilitate their movement as quickly as possible. We must also bear in mind that we are in a pandemic. So that are certain processes that are a little bit slow at the port. But we are working around the clock to ensure that we move with speed,” says Maditsi.

Lebombo customs say they will work together with law enforcement agencies to assist truck drivers who are not part of the concerned group to proceed with their journeys.

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