Watch | Tanker Drivers Fume Over New Convoy System at Mozambican Border

“Tipper jobs are now better,” says a frustrated BVO stuck for days.

Mozambique’s latest move to crack down on fuel smuggling is causing more headaches than solutions for tanker drivers, with long queues and delays piling up along the N4 Maputo Corridor near the Ressano Garcia border post.

In a bid to curb rampant fuel theft between the Port of Maputo and the South African border, Mozambican Customs has rolled out a convoy escort system managed by a private security company.

Tankers are gathered in Matola, outside Maputo, and then moved in twice-daily convoys under escort to the border – a stretch of just 80 kilometres.

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But drivers say it’s turning into a logistical nightmare.

“It’s now better to be a tipper driver than a tanker driver if we look at the longer one stays at the border, now,” a visibly frustrated tanker driver told SA Trucker.

“We hear that the move is to curb theft of fuel, but we don’t see how this will help.”

Hazardous cargo carriers have raised red flags over the risks posed by these forced bottlenecks, saying they create dangerous situations for both drivers and local communities.

Read | Truck Driver Caught Smuggling Fake Tekkies at Lebombo Border Post

Hundreds of tankers are being held at the Kilometre Four truck staging area, and once released, they flood the border in long convoys, snarling traffic and creating potential fire hazards.

Mike Fitzmaurice from the African Union’s Organisation for Transport and Logistics slammed the convoy strategy as inefficient and unsafe.

“Surely there’s a more professional and non-hazardous way to secure the safe transportation of flammable liquid,” he said.

He pointed out that each tanker is already fitted with four high-tech seals, and any tampering would immediately trigger alerts via GPS telematics.

Adding fuel to the fire, two loading permits recently went missing in the process, raising concerns about accountability and the integrity of the system.

With drivers left sitting for days in hot tankers full of volatile fuel, many are beginning to question whether the crackdown is really targeting crime or just creating chaos.