Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CROSS-BORDER transporters and clearing agents arriving at Forbes Border Post without completing goods paperwork are fuelling congestion at the country’s fastest-growing port of exit and entry, The Manica Post has established.
Forbes Border Post, which links Zimbabwe to Mozambique’s Sea Port of Beira, recently overtook Beitbridge as the busiest port of entry for clearing commercial trucks, a shift that began early last year.
The surge has led to unprecedented congestion, with long, snaking queues of haulage trucks now a permanent feature on both sides of the border.
Government has been working on a raft of short, medium, and long-term measures to ease the situation.
On Tuesday, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) convened a meeting with transporters under the theme: “Adjustments in the Implementation of Pre-Clearance at Forbes Border Post”.
The closed-door meeting followed a similar engagement with clearing agents, as authorities intensify efforts to streamline operations and reduce delays at the strategic border post.
Despite being ejected from the meeting, The Manica Post managed to capture key moments of a presentation to transporters.
A female ZIMRA official explained the authority’s position, highlighting challenges caused by limited infrastructure and system constraints.
“We want you to understand the predicament we face because of the confined infrastructure and systems. This has led us to propose adjustments. If pre clearance documents are completed fully—not just partially, like simple registration—the challenges will be addressed.
“Pre cleared means ready to go, but we cannot allow trucks to proceed when they have only registered. We now want to implement this 100 percent. What does this mean? Trucks from Mozambique will only be allowed entry once assessments are complete and documents have been stamped.
“Please ensure trucks do not leave Mozambique unless clearance—apart from the final exit—has been completed. We expect everything, including stamping, to be done so that when drivers arrive, vehicles remain on the move without interruption, except for the final exit. This is the issue we are putting on the table.”
According to her presentation, ZIMRA is currently forced to stop incoming and exiting trucks to allow the pulling out of trucks that have first preference because they will have cleared.
If export and import trucks are allowed to move at the same time, ZIMRA officials will not have the leverage to allow the smooth movement of those that will have done their clearance beforehand.
However, some transporters expressed concern over extra charges that security agents in the neighbouring country could charge, given that they are given 21 hours to move from the Sea Port of Beira to Forbes Border Post.
ZIMRA said the concerns will be addressed through engagement with their Mozambican counterparts with a view to have holding bays well before reaching the country’s port of entry.
Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe (SFAAZ) chief executive officer, Mr Washington Dube, acknowledged the challenges being encountered at Forbes Border Post.
“As someone who works daily with the realities of cross-border trade, I can say with confidence that Forbes Border Post represents far more than a congestion challenge. It is Zimbabwe’s eastern gateway to the sea and access to some of the fastest-growing markets in the world. If we get this border right, we unlock a strategic advantage that few countries in the region can match. “Geographically, Forbes Border Post sits on a corridor that offers one of the shortest and most reliable routes to the Indian Ocean. In an era where global supply chains are being re-shaped for resilience, that position matters. Our political stability and direct access to ports such as Beira are, not just conveniences; they are competitive assets that we have yet to fully leverage. Global demand is also shifting in our favour. Markets in China, India, Japan, and North-East Africa are increasingly interested in our minerals and agricultural produce, while Zimbabwe’s demand for manufactured goods and equipment from these regions continues to rise. Forbes Border Post sits squarely at the centre of this two-way trade, and that places a responsibility on all of us to make the corridor work smoothly. That said, we must be honest about the challenges,” he said.
Mr Dube said infrastructure upgrades are essential, both physical and digital. “Access roads must cope with higher traffic volumes, and manual, paper-based systems must give way to automation and integrated digital platforms. We are happy that the Second Republic, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development have started work on modernising and expanding the Border as well as the Mutare Christmas Pass Bypass and Interchange Project, which will transform border city road network and address longstanding traffic congestion.
“Perhaps the most persistent issue, however, is coordination. Progress depends on consistent alignment between Government agencies, border authorities, transporters, clearing agents, exporters, and importers. The collaborative spirit we witnessed in recent engagements must become the norm, supported by shared platforms and transparent communication. The meeting resolution to fully implement pre-clearance is an encouraging step. It demonstrates that when stakeholders work together, tangible improvements are possible. But it should be seen as a foundation, not the finish line. The pre-clearance system, which we fully support, will only succeed if every stakeholder plays their part,” he said. Mr Dube added: “Transporters need to share clearance documents with clearing agents well in advance so that Bills of Entry can be lodged in the system on time. On their part, clearing agents must process the documentation promptly, while ZIMRA’s role is to assess and finalise those entries efficiently. If this coordination works as intended, the 21 hours allocated for travel from Beira to Forbes maybe adequate to complete the clearance process before trucks arrive at the border. We are confident that closer cooperation and concert between ZIMRA, clearing agents, transporters and other stakeholders will significantly reduce the long-standing queues at Forbes Border Post.”
Initially established as a tourist clearing point, Forbes Border Post is now not only serving half of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, but also clearing more than 1000 commercial trucks daily.
Its newfound status is the result of strategic investment in extended working hours, infrastructure and concerted efforts to streamline border clearance processes.
Statistics from ZIMRA indicate that 88 660 outgoing commercial trucks were cleared at the Forbes Border Post in the first six months of last year, compared to 62 964 that were cleared at the Beitbridge Border Post during the same period
In January, the Forbes Border Post cleared 14 393 outgoing commercial trucks, February (12 172), March (15 586), April (14 368), May (15 973) and June 16 168), while the Beitbridge Border Post cleared 8 627 trucks in January, February (12 248), March (11 057), April (9 412), May (10 172) and June (11 448).
In terms of incoming trucks, the Forbes Border Post cleared a total of 75 471 commercial trucks as at June 30, 2025, while the Beitbridge Border Post cleared 63 085 trucks.
Among a raft of measure aimed at easing congestion at border, ZIMRA launched the Zimbabwe Electronic Single Window automated system to reduce border delays and congestion.
Forbes Border Post was identified as the host of the pilot project, which was officially launched in June 2022. A single window system is a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents electronically with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit regulatory requirements.
Zimbabwe and Mozambique have also opened the Forbes and Machipanda border posts to operate 24 hours to reduce congestion.
Increased economic activity at the border post, particularly since the advent of the Second Republic, has also caused an upsurge in vehicular traffic.
