The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has indefinitely shelved plans to force haulage trucks to use Kazungula Bridge by denying them access through Livingstone-Victoria Falls Border Post.
The ban was supposed to be effective March 1, 2021 and the justification given was the need to reduce the volume of heavy commercial traffic into the resorts of Livingstone and Victoria Falls towns.
Four countries – Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe –meet at the Kazungula quadripoint.
Botswana and Zambia recently opened a bridge at Kazungula to link the two countries, in a project that Zimbabwe declined to participate in.
A former vice-president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, Mr Ozious Marange, said the ZRA’s rethink was welcome.
“We are very grateful that Zambia postponed the ban on the use of Victoria Falls Bridge by commercial trucks. They should let transporters freely choose which route to use instead of forcing them to use an expensive one,” he said.
He added that authorities should also consider a transit point at Batoka for transporters moving between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
According to the Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe, nearly 100 haulage trucks daily cross the Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe over the Zambezi River.
Most of these are 30-tonners carrying copper, coal, coke, cobalt, sulphur and other commodities to destinations that include Angola, Botswana, the DRC, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, tourism sector stakeholders support the proposal to induce transporters to transit through Kazungula as a means of reducing noise and air pollution in Livingstone and Victoria Falls.
These are the levels we have dropped to. making policy pronouncements without researching and consultations. Just to come and reverse without explanation. When announcing the measures, there was a detailed explanation and justification but when flip-flopping, we are very quiet
Eish, looks like we are under pressure from the Zimbos to abandon the project? The project would not go well for them
Meanwhile Wildlife including Rhinos will continue being run over….Zimbabwe was enjoying too much at our expense now Kazungulu is about to open they are panicking….ZRA should just make it economically difficult for Haulers to use it.
Lazy Lungu does not have the balls to shut that border as he will have one less destination to fly to when Zimbabwe is celebrating independence.
If we had true leadership we would be raising a lot of money to maintain these roads and bridges by making these Zimbabweans and whoever pay tolls but whatever is raised goes directly to corrupt figures and that is our downfall. Magufuli cut all those corruption practices and look what happened to Tanzania without chocholi evil loans? Dull Adada is the reason Zambia is getting into a hole. Get rid of him NOW. I don’t even know how anyone normal would think that he is the best Zambians can offer. You have to be screwed up in your brain or useless and corrupt like big nose Kaizar.
Useless Lungu is useless.
If we had true leadership we would be raising a lot of money to maintain these roads and bridges by making these Zimbabweans and whoever pay tolls but whatever is raised goes directly to corrupt figures and that is our downfall. Magufuli cut all those corruption practices and look what happened to Tanzania without evil loans? Dull Adada is the reason Zambia is getting into a hole. Get rid of him NOW. I don’t even know how anyone normal would think that he is the best Zambians can offer. You have to be screwed up in your brain or useless like Kaizar.
If we had true leadership we would be raising a lot of money to maintain these roads and bridges by making these Zimbabweans and whoever pay tolls but whatever is raised goes directly to corrupt figures and that is our downfall. Magufuli cut all those corruption practices and look what happened to Tanzania without evil loans? Adada is the reason Zambia is getting into a hole. Get rid of him NOW. I don’t even know how anyone normal would think that he is the best Zambians can offer. You have to be screwed up in your brain.
Lt machendeyanu. Quit moderating my comments that are clean, I get it if I use bad language not clean so machende Yanu.
You people invite cyber bullying. How can a clean comment get moderated? Useless
Do we THINK before we act in Zambia? Everything seems to happen the other way round. We write crazy laws and then spend all our time trying to find out what we mean. We elect dander heads and spend the rest of the time wondering why things are so bad.
Great session at the gym. While we are staying stress free the upnd members are busy stressing here. Remember a healthy body equals a healthy mind. Some of you your bellies are too big such that you cannot satisfy your wives. Is it any wonder they come after fit men like myself