Single lane for regional trade

Spira Tlhankane | Monday March 2, 2026 06:00

The Kazungula corridor is not just a local road, but a regional trade spine linking Botswana, Zambia and cargo flows headed towards the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.

Since before the Christmas holidays, trucks have occupied one side of the dual carriageway between Lesoma and Kazungula, leaving motorists to share the remaining lane.

The congestion was reportedly triggered by a breakdown of the Zambian truck scanning system, which in the end slowed clearance and created a backlog that spilt into Botswana. On Sunday, there was a car accident opposite the truck queue, allegedly caused by the congestion of trucks in one lane.

What was meant to be a flagship symbol of regional integration has, at least temporarily, slipped into scenes reminiscent of the old ferry era.

At the launch of the Kazungula Bridge Authority (KBA) this week, President Duma Boko revealed that the trucks queue had reached seven kilometres before being reduced to three.

“A few days earlier, the queue of trucks was seven kilometres,” Boko said, adding that ministers from both countries introduced immediate remedial measures that cut the backlog within days.

He said the ultimate goal is to eliminate queues through 24-hour operations and the transition from a one-stop to a non-stop border post powered by technology.

“The aim is to have no queue at all and have goods moved efficiently. Both countries have resolved that this border operates 24 hours a day. It is just the beginning; we are moving in the direction of a non-stop border post.

It will require the deployment of appropriate technologies.

“I am aware that the Botswana Stock Exchange is well advanced in bridging technology that will enable this non-stop border,” Boko said, adding that implementation should not be delayed.

Late last year, Chobe Member of Parliament (MP) Simasiku Mapulanga said the Lesoma–Kazungula stretch, a key commercial route, was “currently heavily congested”, with trucks taking up one lane and making movement difficult for residents and motorists.

He attributed the congestion to the scanner breakdown on the Zambian side, saying authorities there have hired 15 temporary staff to manually process trucks.

Before Boko announced that the border will now be a 24-hour operation, he said his office had proposed extending operating hours to midnight or even 24 hours.

He urged motorists to exercise patience and said the Kazungula Police Traffic Department has been engaged to help manage traffic. In a media briefing here a day before the launch of the KBA, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure spokesperson, Tiro Kganela said delays are worsened by cargo verification requirements. Particularly, he singled out food consignments and trucks destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining sector. Some truck drivers, he noted, wait in the line for up to three days.

Kganela added that proposals under consideration include using space on the Zambian side for truck parking and adopting a system similar to the US–Mexico border, where stamping is done while trucks move in a queue.

He also pointed to opportunities for Batswana clearing agents, noting that Zambia has about 1,200 agents compared to Botswana’s six.

Déjà Vu of the pontoon eraFor many residents, the current congestion has revived memories of the days when the Kazungula crossing relied on a single pontoon ferry.

“Kazungula crossing was synonymous with the pontoon ferry, a slow, unpredictable bottleneck where trucks could wait for a week to cross. Back then, pontoons at the Kazungula border at times broke down, causing congestion with more than 80 trucks waiting to cross from the Zambian side into Botswana. A scanner problem is a big issue and can cause major disruption. I remember a traffic jam of trucks a few years back. Big up to the thought of extending hours of operations; it could help if implemented,” one resident told Mmegi.

“The Kazungula Bridge serves as a catalyst for economic transformation, unlocking new investment opportunities and reinforcing the Kazungula One Stop Border’s position as a key gateway for regional trade and connectivity. The latter has helped streamline cross-border procedures, resulting in reduced clearance times, lower trade costs and enhanced competitiveness of Botswana’s exports and imports,” said Botswana Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Noah Salakae during the launch of the KBA.

For his part, Zambia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Charles Milupi, noted that truck volumes have more than doubled since the bridge opened.

“Since the opening of the Kazungula Bridge in May 2021, the number of trucks crossing the bridge has significantly increased from an average of 214 trucks per day in 2021 to 491 trucks per day as of December 2025. We believe that with the Kazungula Bridge Authority in place, this investment will further enhance, sustain and improve the efficiency of the operations of the border,” Milupi said.

“This will result in increased trade and traffic volumes. The operational efficiency at the border will be further enhanced by the Kazungula Bridge Authority in that we intend to quickly move from a one-stop border post to a non-stop border post by leveraging technology.”

Now, with trucks piling up, the real test for the newly launched authority is whether it can turn bold promises into uninterrupted trade flow. The bridge, opened in May 2021 replacing the unreliable pontoon ferry, was meant to permanently end congestion nightmares at Kazungula.

Instead, the scanner failure has revived memories of the old bottlenecks, only this time on a modern structure built to carry the weight of regional trade. For truckers, businesses and border communities, the bridge must work not just in structure, but in speed.