News - TTTFP

40 YEARS OF SADC: ENHANCING REGIONAL COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION

As a culmination to the commemoration of the 40^th Anniversary of SADC, H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the President of the Republic of Mozambique and Chairperson of SADC on 23^rd June 2021 launched the SADC 40^th Anniversary publication titled: 40 Years of SADC: Enhancing Regional Cooperation and Integration, (40 Anos da SADC: Reforçando a Cooperação e a Integração Regional; Les 40 ans de la SADC: Renforcer la coopération et l’intégration regionals) which brings to light the history of SADC and key achievements that the region has made since 1980.
https://www.sadc.int/news-events/news/40-years-sadc-enhancing-regional-cooperation-and-integration/

KAZUNGULA BRIDGE AND ONE STOP BORDER FACILITY

Kazungula Bridge and One Stop Border Post commissioned, paving way for enhanced SADC integration and development (Video credit Al Jazeera)

UGANDA BECOMES THE FIRST COUNTRY TO CONVERT DRIVER LICENSING CATEGORIES TO CONFORM TO TTTFP/ISO DRIVER LICENCE CATEGORIES AND DRIVING LICENCE CARD, WHICH ARE BASED ON ISO STANDARDS AND UN ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

UGANDA MAKES STRIDES IN IMPLEMENTING TTTFP MEASURES Download

Radio interview with Lovemore Bingandadi – SADC Secretariat Transport and Trade Facilitation Committee Coordinator: SADC regional guidelines for harmonisation and facilitation of movement of critical goods and services across SADC during the COVID-19 pandemic Download

SUSPENSION OF TRAVEL FOR SECRETARIAT STAFF DUE TO CONTINUED OUTBREAK OF COVID 19
Dear Sir/Madam,
The above captioned matter refers.
Kindly be advised that due to the continued outbreak of the COVID 19 in a number of countries, COMESA, EAC and SADC Secretariats have taken a decision to suspend staff travel in a bid to mitigate new infections. Attached herewith are the notices from COMESA, EAC and SADC Secretariats for ease of reference.
This means that all planned Workshops/Meetings under the TTTFP which were previously communicated (particularly for the month of March 2020 have been affected). The TTTFP will however, continue to consult with the Member States in the near future on the dates that the Workshops/Meetings will be rescheduled once guided by the Secretariats.
The TTTFP is also investigating the feasibility of alternative delivery modes/platforms, Tripartite Member/Partner States are therefore encouraged to continue with the nomination of delegates and to notify COMESA as indicated in the invitation letter for this meeting.
For/CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRIPARTITE TASK FORCE
Emma Kandeo
Administrative Assistant – Trade & Customs Division
COMESA Secretariat
Ben Bella Road, P.O. Box 30051, Lusaka, Zambia
Phone: +260 211 229725/32 Ext. 7353
Fax: +260 211 225107

Joint Statement by QU Dongyu, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Roberto Azevedo, Directors-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)
30 March 2020
Millions of people around the world depend on international trade for their food security and livelihoods. As countries move to enact measures aiming to halt the accelerating COVID-19 pandemic, care must be taken to minimise potential impacts on the food supply or unintended consequences on global trade and food security.
When acting to protect the health and well-being of their citizens, countries should ensure that any trade-related measures do not disrupt the food supply chain. Such disruptions including hampering the movement of agricultural and food industry workers and extending border delays for food containers, result in the spoilage of perishables and increasing food waste. Food trade restrictions could also be linked to unjustified concerns on food safety. If such a scenario were to materialize, it would disrupt the food supply chain, with particularly pronounced consequences for the most vulnerable and food insecure populations.
Uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating a shortage on the global market. Such reactions can alter the balance between food supply and demand, resulting in price spikes and increased price volatility. We learned from previous crises that such measures are particularly damaging for low-income, food-deficit countries and to the efforts of humanitarian organizations to procure food for those in desperate need.
We must prevent the repeat of such damaging measures. It is at times like this that more, not less, international cooperation becomes vital. In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdowns, every effort must be made to ensure that trade flows as freely as possible, specially to avoid food shortage. Similarly, it is also critical that food producers and food workers at processing and retail level are protected to minimise the spread of the disease within this sector and maintain food supply chains. Consumers, in particular the most vulnerable, must continue to be able to access food within their communities under strict safety requirements.
We must also ensure that information on food-related trade measures, levels of food production, consumption and stocks, as well as on food prices, is available to all in real time. This reduces uncertainty and allows producers, consumers and traders to make informed decisions. Above all, it helps contain ‘panic buying’ and the hoarding of food and other essential items.
Now is the time to show solidarity, act responsibly and adhere to our common goal of enhancing food security, food safety and nutrition and improving the general welfare of people around the world. We must ensure that our response to COVID-19 does not unintentionally create unwarranted shortages of essential items and exacerbate hunger and malnutrition.

Tarik Jasarevic
Spokesperson / Media Relations
WHO
Telephone: +41227915099
Mobile: +41793676214
Email: jasarevict@who.int

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH AND EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ISSUED ON 25TH MARCH 2020 ON COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY REGION Download

MAP SADC POINTS OF ENTRY AS AT 20 APRIL 2020 Download

SADC Regional Response to COVID19 Download

EAC Travel measures to prevent importation of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)Download

FR- Final Guidelines on Harmonisation of Cross Boarder Transport Download

PT- Final Guidelines on Harmonisation of Cross Boarder Transport Download

South Africa – Notice regarding corona lockdown in terms of the Cross-border Road Transport Act Download

EAC Travel measures to prevent importation of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)Download

Memo suspension of travel – 10.03.2020 Rev. 1 Download

Declaration of a State of Emergency.docx Download

COVID-19 Outbreak – Temporary Suspension of SADC Events Download

MAP SADC POINTS OF ENTRY AS AT 20 APRIL 2020 Download

WBCG Communique – Update on COVID-19 PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AT THE BORDERS 16 MARCH 2020 Download

COMESA-Bulletin-Bracing-for-Effects-of-COVID-19 Download

Truck drivers face added sense of isolation during Covid-19

Texas Truck Stop Under Pressure From City to Enforce COVID-19 Policies or Be Shut Down

Governor Plans to Screen Truckers Entering State for Fever, Says National Guard Will Enforce

Truck drivers face added sense of isolation during Covid-19

Will Africa’s economies buckle under the Coronavirus?

New ‘rule changes’ South African drivers should know about

No SA coronavirus cancellations or travel bans for now – Zweli Mkhize

Here’s how much money truck drivers get paid in South Africa

No SA coronavirus cancellations or travel bans for now – Zweli Mkhize

Here’s how much money truck drivers get paid in South Africa

Mapped: Visualizing the True Size of Africa

This is how South Africa’s planned car regulations will impact your insurance

Who has the most to gain from destroying commuter rail networks?

Who has the most to gain from destroying commuter rail networks?

China’s facial-recognition giant says it can crack masked faces during the coronavirus

In unwelcome news for protesters everywhere, some Chinese artificial-intelligence companies are announcing their technology can now identify people even when they’re wearing face masks, as part of their efforts to adapt to the continuing coronavirus outbreak.

40-year-old South African to head AfCFTA secretariat

40-year-old South African to head AfCFTA secretariat

Zimbabwe, South Africa to operate One-Stop Border Post in 2024

A one-stop border post that will fast-track trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe will be fully operational at Beitbridge in 2024, according to South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-health-byo-179029.html

Africa’s growing cybersecurity threat

Africa’s growing cybersecurity threat

Ramaphosa ready to tackle Africa’s problems, including road from the Cape to Cairo

The dream of a road that stretches from the Cape to Cairo could soon be realised if President Cyril Ramaphosa has his way. Ramaphosa has been tasked with championing an intercontinental and transboundary route that will take commuters from Cape Town to Cairo in Egypt. The route will connect countries like Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia and the DRC as part of the presidential infrastructure champion initiative (PICI).

This project comes on the back of a recent African Continental Free Trade Agreement that was signed by 44 African countries in Kigali, Rwanda, in March 2018. This agreement will likely be a game changer for future trade and development on the continent.

https://citizen.co.za/business/2239184/ramaphosa-ready-to-tackle-africas-problems-including-road-from-the-cape-to-cairo/

SADC officials to review progress made on transport, trade

Transport officials from SADC countries are meeting in Swakopmund for two days to discuss the state of transport and trade in the region.
Delegates to the workshop are expected to review progress made by the Cross Border Road Transport-Regulators Forum (CBRT-RF) since its establishment two years ago.

https://tttfp.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=4825&action=edit

New law on 0% blood-alcohol limit for drivers to be strictly enforced, says FARR

The Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR) says it supports the incoming law taking a zero-tolerance approach to drunk driving. It’s reported that from June 2020, the new legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers will be 0%. This means that it will be illegal for motorists to drink and drive at all. This legislation law forms part of the controversial Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act signed into law last year.

http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/373377/new-law-on-0-blood-alcohol-limit-for-drivers-to-be-strictly-enforced-says-farr

The continental African passport promised to roll out in 2020 can only improve mobility in Africa

It’s still up in the air whether the African Union can keep its promise to deliver a continental passport by the end of the year. The travel document would allow visa-free travel between the Union’s 55 member countries.

The potential economic impact is huge. Recently-released data show that intra-African travel continues to lag the world. The continent’s 1.2 billion people made far fewer intra-continental trips—in total, and per person—than Europeans, Asians and Americans.

https://qz.com/africa/1794872/the-african-union-passport-can-only-increase-mobility-in-africa/

Huduma Namba: Kenya court halts biometric ID over data fears

Kenya’s High Court has halted a controversial biometric ID scheme until new data protection laws are enacted.

Coronavirus declared a global health epidemic

BREAKING: The World Health Organisation declares the #coronavirus outbreak a global public health epidemic.

This law would allow emojis on licence plates

The United States of America (USA) Vermont state representative Rebecca White has introduced a bill that would allow car owners in the state to use one of six emojis on their vanity license plates, according to local news station NBC5.

Series of acid spills in the SADC raises questions

Questions have been raised about safety standards and compliance related to the transportation of hazardous chemicals after another sulphuric acid spill in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Addis, Kampala outshine Nairobi with Sh450bn regional FDI deals

Ethiopia and Uganda controlled more than half of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows into Eastern Africa in 2019, a UN report suggests, shining the spotlight on Nairobi’s strategy to attract big-ticket investors.

The two countries attracted Sh454.91 billion ($4.5 billion), an equivalent of 51.13 percent of the Sh889.59 billion ($8.8 billion) flows into the region, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says in latest report.

Meet the Zimbabwean building driverless cars in the UK

Meet the Zimbabwean building driverless cars in the UK

Africans can now travel across more than half of the continent without getting visas beforehand

For the first time Africans have travel access to 51% of the continent and now only need visas to travel to fewer than half of other African countries, according to the Africa Development Bank’s Visa Openness Index for 2019. Of the 51% of countries Africans can access more freely, 26% offer visas on arrival while 25% do not require prior visas from African travelers.

Angola is open for business with more relaxed visa requirements

The Angolan government has been introducing several initiatives to encourage investment and business opportunities. One of his first initiatives was to relax the visa requirements for countries like Botswana, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Singapore. Citizens from Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, the Cape Verde, Rwanda and Zambia can enter Angola without having to apply for a business or tourist visa.

Food for thought: Message from Dr Arikana Chihombori-quao

[VIDEO] Food for thought: Message from Dr Arikana Chihombori-quao Download

SAC issues notice to promote the development of foreign language versions of Chinese national standards

Tolls on Beira-Zimbabwe road cut by more than half

In a major victory for the motoring lobby, the Mozambican government has cut by over 50 per cent, and in some cases over 60 per cent, the tolls that will be charged on the rebuilt national highway between Beira and Zimbabwe.

Mozambican president says Chinese-rehabilitated artery vital to regional economy

The newly rehabilitated and upgraded N6 Road in central Mozambique is a determining factor for the regional economy and will contribute to the socio-economic development of the country, said Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday.

Google Maps satellite images cover 98 percent of the world’s population

The tech giant says it has captured over 10 million miles of images for Street View, thus far, which is distance enough to circle the globe 400 times. Also, it says Google Earth has 36 million square miles of HD satellite images you can browse, and those images cover areas where 98 percent of the entire population lives.

Pan-African Quality Infrastructure – Stocktaking Document (2017)

The Pan-African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI), recognized by the AU in August 2013, is the African platform on quality matters and operates through its pillars, African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC), Intra-Africa Metrology System (AFRIMETS), African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC) and African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).

In 2014 PAQI conducted a stocktaking exercise to establish a baseline of the status and gaps in accreditation, metrology and measurements and standardisation in Africa. It is now time for review and update of the data provided in the previous document. Except AFRAC the review uses similar indicators and criteria as was used in the previous research. This provides for a comparative analysis to better observe the change in the development of quality infrastructure in Africa.

Pan-African Quality Infrastructure – Stocktaking Document_English (2017) Download

Tanzania and Rwanda in push to reshape East African logistics

Rwanda and Tanzania individually signed two mega-infrastructure deals in the last week in moves that will undoubtedly reshape the East African region politically and economically. Kenya stands to lose most.

Visiting Ethiopia, EU leader signs $188M financing pact

Visiting Ethiopia on Saturday, a newly inaugurated EU leader signed a pact to provide the Horn of Africa nation with financing totaling €170 million ($188 million).

A TIP for African Governments on Attracting Investment

A TIP for African Governments on Attracting Investment

Zimbabwean Government To Ban Ex-Japanese Cars

Govt To Ban Ex-Jap Cars

Ethiopia’s Digitization Drive Attracts Global Tech Giants

The two big names in the technology world, Twitter Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jack Dorsey and former Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma, are in Ethiopia this week as Africa’s second most populous country’s aggressive digitization drive to create jobs is attracting global interest.

South Africans can now renew their car licence on WhatsApp

Motorists can now renew their car licence disk using WhatsApp through Infobip’s ‘chatback’ function on WhatsApp. Infobip said that the service is open to all car owners in South Africa at any time.

Republic of Kenya: Used car importers rush to beat eight-year age rule

According to the Car Importers Association of Kenya, imports between January and March normally average 3,000 to 4,000 before picking up to 9,000 in the second half of the year. The country imports about 130,000 second-hand vehicles annually with the used cars enjoying 85 per cent of market share.

Republic of South Africa: Sanral: E-toll resistance gave us a bumpy ride

The South African National Roads Agency admitted to Parliament on Wednesday morning that it was partly to blame for the resistance to its electronic tolling system on Gauteng’s freeways – which has caused it financial headaches – as consulting ahead of the toll introduction was flawed.

Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road : The impact of deadly habits

Hazardous materials and Dangerous Goods make up a significant portion of the global freight, because they include many widely used commodities and products. Concerning dangerous goods logistics, some policies and standards are set into place. International organizations and domestic institutions have issued more stringent new policies for the management of dangerous goods logistics. The implementation of these new policies is expected to provide better security for the transportation of dangerous goods. Read more: https://mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hazardous-goods-logistics-market

Video: Dangerous Goods – Deadly Habits Download

The Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road MODEL LAW was developed by TTTFP to provide for the safe transportation of dangerous goods by road in accordance with the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.