Kasolo, ZRA threaten striking Mwami border clearing agents

EASTERN Province permanent secretary Chanda Kasolo yesterday fumed at striking Mwami border clearing agents who are calling for the removal of the ZRA station manager Vincent Ngulube. And ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda says organisation has lost K1.5 million following the five-day strike by clearing agents at the border.

Over 200 trucks are marooned on both the Zambian and Malawian sides following the strike action by clearing agents since Monday. Some Malawian truck drivers who were found on the Zambian side complained that they have been stranded for a number of days. Addressing the striking agents, Kasolo warned they would have their licences revoked if they continued with their work stoppage.

He said the strike action amounts to economic sabotage, warning them that they could even be arrested for that.

I would like to lead an orderly province, I don’t like mediocrity. This country would have gone very far by now if we were not as mediocre as you do, an example is what has happened here, Kasolo said.

He said exports amounting to K4.3 million and imports of K3.5 million were stranded at the border.

We are punishing our friends in Malawi, you have risked security, commerce, you have lost us money. Do you know how much government makes at this border per day? A minimum K200,000 up to K300,000 per day, Kasolo said. We have lost that. How do you expect government to buy medicine? How do you expect government to mend potholes? How do you expect government to be paying civil servants? What you did is tantamount to blackmail. I don’t take kindly to blackmail.

Kasolo said the clearing agents had risked the relationship between Malawi and Zambia.

What do you think is happening between the President of Malawi and our President now? You are totally unpatriotic. Patriotic Zambians would think first. If we do this what would happen? You don’t care, it’s economic sabotage. I could easily get the police to arrest all of you now, Kasolo said.

He said Ngulube was brought to Mwami border for a reason adding that he worked well at Nakonde border post. Kasolo said Ngulube would not be removed because he was working well. He also directed police to ensure the clearing agents who cleared a container said to have machinery when it had second hand clothes, were arrested and prosecuted.

It’s you people (agents) that are making a bad name for government to say we are corrupt. Are we corrupt? It’s you who are corrupt! How can you say it’s machinery when it’s salaula? They must be arrested and they must be taken to court. You are blaming civil servants to say they are corrupt; it’s you who are corrupt, said the visibly annoyed Kasolo, who did not even give chance to the striking agents to utter any word.

And Chanda said ZRA would want to see all the marooned trucks cleared before close of business yesterday.

Our position (ZRA) is that any clearing company that will not submit the entries as the PS indicated we will revoke the licence and we won’t just do it for Mwami, we will do it for the entire country. Basically, we will blacklist because such actions can be very damaging, he said. In terms of statistics, the 30 of you at this border and cumulatively, we have estimated that we have lost K1.5 million in the last five days. That’s a lot but more importantly, it’s just the cost that we have put on the transporters because these transporters they don’t make money by having their trucks marooned at the border.

Chanda said the action by the clearing agents was damaging to the export market. He said ZRA was capable of clearing the goods without clearing agents. Chanda said ZRA could start with Mwami as a pilot by eliminating clearing agents and deal directly with transporters.

The clearing agents wants Ngulube to be removed and his predecessor who was on suspension reinstated.