South Africa: SA, DRC Work Collectively to Tackle Border Delays

In an effort to handle the congestion and delays on the Kasumbalesa border, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to handle the challenges of infrastructure, tools and procedures on the border.

This border put up is some extent of entry into the DRC from Zambia and is the primary transit level for freight vehicles from South Africa and varied international locations within the area.

“As a part of addressing the challenges, we dedicated to assist the DRC in automating the Kasumbalesa port of entry. Different proposed options embrace the extension of border operations to 24 hours a day, the institution of a one-stop border put up in addition to using different border posts to ease congestion at Kasumbalesa.

“We additional agreed to assist using railway as a substitute for decongest the Kasumbalesa highway community and the event of a dry port,” Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, stated on Sunday.

Chikunga lately held a bilateral assembly along with her counterpart from the DRC, Minister Marc Ekila Likombo, the place they agreed to undertake a joint ministerial go to to the Kasumbalesa port of entry, within the Province of Haut Katanga.

The joint go to to the border was held on Saturday. It adopted the profitable twelfth Bi-Nationwide Fee co-chaired by the Presidents of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, respectively, on 6 July 2023.

Chikunga stated the decision of the Kasumbalesa port of entry requires the participation of the Zambian authorities within the dialog.

“To this finish, I will likely be participating with my Zambian counterpart on their participation within the discussions to discover a lasting answer to the congestion downside.”

The joint communique additionally affirmed an earlier resolution to convene a dialogue and workshop in South Africa on issues of mutual cooperation, coated within the memorandum of understanding (MOU), together with decision to challenges of the Kasumbalesa border put up.