SA truckers’ strike to affect Nam imports

NAMIBIA’s imports from South Africa stand to be affected, as truckers in that country have initiated a nationwide shutdown.

According to the Trans Kalahari Corridor Secretariat (TKCS) executive director Leslie Mpofu, the national shutdown by truck drivers at South Africa started today.

He said Namibia imports a majority of its commodities from South Africa, which includes medicine, food supplies and so forth, and this shutdown would affect Namibia a great deal.

“We are already hit by Covid-19, and the economy is already strained, and if we get man-made barriers such as the strike, it would affect us. Logistics services are also affected, people on the ground and the drivers and their families are affected by this shutdown,” Mpofu told on Tuesday.

He said the matter is receiving attention from the government and the relevant authorities in that country.

“They are doing all they can to ensure that the action taken by truck drivers are managed in the best manner possible,” he said.

He noted that the TKCZ was advised by the South African authorities to ask that the freight transport operators note this action by South African truck drivers, and further urge them to delay travel to and from South Africa until 8 July 2020 or to a period where the situation would have stabilised.

“Truck drivers are further advised to report all incidents to the nearest police station. The TKCS will continue to monitor the situation and give relevant updates,” Mpofu noted.

The Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC), represented by the secretariat is a road network spanning approximately 1 900 kilometers across the territories of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

– charmaine@namibian.com.na

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.