Over 400 fuel tankers and trucks carrying various goods and other merchandise into Zambia have started crossing the border at Nakonde from Tanzania following a joint border meeting held at Tunduma in Tanzania last night which was chaired by Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone.
The over 400 fuel tankers including about 450 In-transit IT vehicles have been marooned at Tunduma in Tanzania for the past 6 days following protests by Tanzanian truck drivers and drivers of IT vehicles who were protesting against alleged harassment by Zambian authorities and individuals.
A crew from ZANIS this morning around 06:00 hours found fuel tankers crossing into Zambia from Tanzania
Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone told ZANIS at Nakonde this morning that the joint meeting held last evening between the region administration of Songwe in Tanzania and Muchinga in Zambia, concluded to allow the movement of fuel tankers and other trucks to start crossing into Zambia.
Mr. Sichone said the partial agreement was to allow Zambia not to face a shortage of essential goods such as fuel and medicine.
The Provincial Minister added that a full agreement will be effected this evening after a scheduled joint meeting that was held last evening which agreed in principle to start releasing IT vehicles.
“We were in a serious situation in Zambia because some of the vehicles marooned on the Tanzanian side included fuel tankers and we therefore, agreed that fuel tankers and other trucks carrying goods and other merchandise should be allowed to cross into Zambia.
Mr. Sichone said the normal operations at the Nakonde/ Tunduma border were expected to normalise within the next 24:00 hours.
And Nakonde Member of Parliament Izukanji Siwanzi was happy that the border standoff has been resolved.
Mr. Siwanzi thanked the provincial minister for resolving the situation that he said had a huge economic effect on the country’s economy.
“As area member of Parliament for Nakonde am happy that the border standoff has been partially resolved and by tomorrow normal operations are expected,” said Mr. Siwanzi.
And Muchinga Truck Drivers Association of Zambia Chairperson for Richard Chola also commended the provincial minister for resolving the boarder standoff.
Mr. Chola appealed to all stakeholders to give both Zambia and Tanzanian authorities’ time to completely end the standoff.
“We are happy with what has been resolved so far. This standoff was going to harm our economy,” said Mr. Chola.
The minister did not do well disadvantanging Nakonde youths why we Zambians,, in Nakonde everything is bad.. no roads, no industries, no good water, no medicines in clinics, youths gotten driving license to be driving ITs frm Nakonde to other the ministers says No. This is not good at all
What do you expect when you have such an explosive youth population with virtually nothing to do?
Stop lying and create Industries for them otherwise this is time bomb waiting to explode.
Government should create Jobs not those inexperienced drivers driving people vehicles that not Job, they end damaging people’s vehicles moreover u can’t stop foreigners driving on the road as long they have a driving license and passports with accompanied with health documents by stopping them u expect retaliation from the country also