adminTruck drivers in South Africa have been on strike for over a week seeking to compel their employers to increase their salaries by more than 18 percent and talks to break the impasse have collapsed on several occasions.
The collapse of the railway transport system in Zimbabwe has seen goods between the two Southern African neighbours being transported by road through Beitbridge, the busiest inland port in the region.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Mr Oswell Binha said there was minimum movement of freight through the Beitbridge Border Post.
“We no longer have spares as nothing is coming through the Beitbridge Border Post at the moment. Some are also running out of raw materials, especially those who did not have huge stocks,” he said.
Mr Binha said the ZNCC was assessing the impact of the strike on the local economy.
He said the strike by the truck drivers was likely to be felt in other countries that use the Beitbridge border such as Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Mr Kumbirai Katsande concurred with Mr Binha that the strike in South Africa was affecting the Zimbabwean economy.
“We just hope that people will not panic over the strike.”
Trade between Zimbabwe and South Africa was last year estimated at more than 17,5 billion rand ($2,3 billion).
Zimbabwe imports more than 70 percent of its needs from South Africa with most of the goods transported by road. — New Ziana
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter