The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) successfully undertook two-days border visit to Kasumbalesa and Sakania border posts between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Zambia from 20-21 November 2023.
The purpose of the visits was to gather information and data on the two sides of the border post, engaging with border authorities, operators, truck drivers and other stakeholders, inspect the facilities at Kasumbalesa and Sakania border posts. The information gathered will be input to the Comprehensive roadmap in addressing the perennial challenges at Kasumbalesa border post.
The visits were led by the Director of Industrialisation and Trade at the SADC Secretariat, Mr. Dhunraj Kassee, Mr. Levy Simatimbe Station Manager at the Kasumbalesa Border, Zambia side and Mr. Aime Kizito Kilosho Station Manager at the Kasumbalesa border, DRC side.
The Secretariat team comprised of officials from Directorates of: Industrialisation and Trade, Infrastructure, Finance, Investment and Customs, ORGAN and GIZ Botswana under the CESARE Trade Project. The border authorities from the two Member States included representatives from Customs as designated Border Managers responsible for border operations, Departments of: Immigration, Security, Port health, Minerals, and others.
The tours were undertaken on both sides of the border inspecting border operations, available facilities for truck parking, inspections, surveillance, services, and facilities for the security of truck drivers, cross border traders and the public.
There were long truck queues on both sides of the border, the truck parking facilities on the Zambian side is under-developed therefore cannot accommodate trucks up to its capacity.
The two countries have operational National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) and are implementing single window and coordinated border management initiatives. There are also cameras on both sides of the border to monitor in and out traffic from each country, each country holds joint interagency inspections. There are plans for both countries to implement One Stop Border Post at Kasumbalesa to facilitate legitimate trade.
