Zambia Seizes 200 Tanzanian Lorries

The government said yesterday that it was not aware of reports that over 200 trucks owned by Tanzanian operators had been seized in Zambia linked to illegal logging claims.

“We haven’t received any communication from truck owners. We’ve not been officially informed. Maybe we will have to make a follow up on the matter,” Works and Transport minister Leonard Chamuriho told The Citizen yesterday.

But truck owners maintained yesterday that over 200 of their trucks were being held by authorities in Zambia over allegations that they were being used to ferry logs illegally.

Tanzania Medium and Small Truck Owners Association (TMSTOA) chairman Chuki Shaban told The Citizen yesterday that the trucks were coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), carrying logs that were meant to be offloaded at the Dar es Salaam Port.

“They were seized despite the fact that our drivers produced documents to substantiate that the logs had been ferried from the DRC,” he claimed.

He was speaking on sidelines of a meeting that brought together cargo transporters and bus owners to discuss business and competition in the sector.

Source: Africa Focus