Lebombo border congestion blamed on 'technical challenges'

The road has been blocked by hundreds of trucks between Strydom Block and N4 to Lebombo border since Tuesday morning.    

It is alleged that the delay is caused by truck drivers awaiting the proceed-to-port permits and drivers who are not obeying the rules of the road and blocking lanes. 

The affected roads are the N4 highway, Strydom Block Rd, R571 in Komatiepoort.  

In a joint statement by the Border Management Authority, Mpumalanga police, the Border Management Authority, the Road Freight Association and the South African Association of Freight Forwarders, the organisations say they are urgently working resolve the situation. 

“Maintaining the orderly and continuous movement of trucks to the border is imperative to enable the processing of trucks to take place on a manual and interim basis pending the resolution of the technical challenges being experienced," the statement said. 

“In this regard, and to avoid further congestion, we also request trucks without a 'Proceed to Border' notification status not to approach the border and not to park at the border while awaiting clearance documents. We urge all traders to use the functionality to pre-clear consignments.

“We call on all affected transporters and truck drivers to assist with this effort, exercise patience and restraint, and to refrain from acting in a manner not conducive to maintaining the organised flow of traffic to and through our borders. These include disregarding traffic rules, blocking lanes, and disabling trucks from moving," added the organisations. 

ALSO READ: