Unrest fallout rumbles beyond SA

THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) relies on South Africa for the importation of food, fuel, medicine and others essential supplies.

The recent protests in South Africa are likely to see shortages and increased commodity prices in the region, due to disruption in the regional supply chain.

Shops were looted and burnt down in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, as protesters called for former South African president Jacob Zuma to be released from prison. The Constitutional Court had sentenced Zuma to 15 months in jail, for contempt of court.

Protesters calling for his release allegedly looted and torched shoppin malls in KwaZulu-Natal. The unrest spread to Gauteng. At least 161 malls and shopping centres, 11 warehouses, eight factories and 161 liquor outlets and distributors were damaged.

Ben Manzini, a truck driver delivering goods between South Africa and Botswana, said he had not noticed disruption in the supply of essential goods in Gaborone.

“I was in Botswana when the protest started. I was able to refill the truck in Botswana with no problems. Supplies were still in stock. Maybe in the next coming months the impact of the protest could be seen,” he said.

He said that according to his colleagues who had been in Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique in the past week, supplies were available in the respective countries.

“In Namibia, I am told some truck companies have parked their trucks as a result of the protests, this means goods are not supplied in the same volumes as before and this will affect the availability of supplies in the future.”

Moseliseli Molise, a miner from Lesotho, working in Rustenburg, said he was worried that the protests in South Africa would have a devastating impact on the availability of basic goods in his home country.

“We do not know what goods will run short in the near future, Lesotho relies on South Africa for a number of goods,” Molise said after his work shift.

“I communicate daily with my family in Lesotho to check if they are able to buy food. For now, there are no shortages but the future is uncertain. We do not know what will happened next week or month.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the impact of the protests would be felt in South Africa and the region in the days, weeks and months to come.

“The damage that has been done to vital economic infrastructure will take time to repair. This, in turn, will have an impact on the availability of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies not only in South Africa but across the region,” Ramaphosa said.

Namibia was the first country to raise concerns about the protest in South Africa. President Hage Geingob, in his address to Namibians, said the country should use the unrest in South Africa to bolster its domestic capacity.

“It has been said that great challenges present opportunities for growth. Anticipated disruptions to the supply chains of essential goods and services in the Republic of South Africa may present an opportunity to bolster our domestic capacity,” he said.

Geingob said efforts were under way to, among others, increase local oxygen-generating capacity and to fast-track the manufacturing of coffins locally. He described the situation in South Africa as a wake-up call for Namibian business people to start producing locally.

Namibia procured oxygen from South Africa and brought it into Namibia by trucks. The protest in South Africa posed a threat to the supply of oxygen to Namibia.

Daily newspaper The Namibian reported that burials in Namibia have been postponed as the country was waiting for coffins to arrive from South Africa.

According to the Namibia Statistics Agency, South Africa remained that country’s largest import market, with a share of 32.0% of the value of all goods received in April.

The chief executive of Walvis Bay Corridor Group, Hippy Tjivikua, told The Namibian newspaper, that the protest has resulted in delays and disruptions in the supply chain which, in turn, brought increased transport costs as cargo owners and logisticians required reliable routes.

“The impact of the past few days will reverberate far beyond South Africa's borders. The Walvis Bay Corridor Group continues to facilitate resolutions required along the Walvis Bay corridors to lessen barriers that affect the flow of cross-border cargo. We are grateful to the public and private-sector organisations and companies for working so well together to ensure our corridors remain open during these challenging times,” Tjivikua said.

In Botswana, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Mmusi Kgafela called a meeting with captains of industry in manufacturing, distribution and retail to assess the availability of food and other essential supplies in light of recent protest in neighbouring South Africa.

“The sectors have assured government that they have enough cover of essential supplies and the public is therefore advised not to panic buy,” said spokesperson Chandapiwa Baputaki. “The government is committed to continuously monitor the situation and engage with the industry to ensure availability of essential goods in the country. The ministry will further inform the public if there are any changes.”

The Ministry of Mineral Resource in Botswana said the situation in South Africa had not affected fuel supply in Botswana.

“The government wants to assure the public that it is constantly monitoring the situation and that currently, there is sufficient fuel reserves to address any shortfall should the need arise.

“Further, in order to minimise any possible fuel supply shortages, local oil companies, as well as Botswana Oil, are sourcing fuel from alternative routes,” spokesperson Boikhutso Rabasha said.

Ramaphosa said the violence and destruction had damaged the South African economy at a time when the country was struggling to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It has destroyed businesses and will undoubtedly lead to further job losses. Ultimately, it will deepen poverty and cause even greater hardship for millions of South Africans.”

The government has deployed the military to quell violence, while the SAPS, on its social media platforms, said some of the looted goods were recovered at Beitbridge and Groblersbrug ports of entry. |