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Bianca Mlilo, Business Reporter
THE Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has requested the government to waive the third country rule and the rule of cabotage to facilitate the easy transportation of maize into Zimbabwe saying rail transport was struggling to match the task.

The rule of cabotage restricts the carriage of bilateral trade to operators from the two countries concerned and prohibits the provision of transport within a country by a foreign operator.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joram Gumbo, GMAZ chairman, Tafadzwa Musarara, said there was a need to complement the rail transport.

“On behalf of the milling industry, I wish to apply for a special dispensation to suspend, for a 12 month period, the third country rule and the rule of cabotage in respect of road haulage in order to complement our local trucking companies with foreign truckers in moving grains from Mozambican ports,” reads part of the letter dated February 17, 2016.

Musarara also said the milling industry has started importing maize from other countries in an effort to complement government efforts to avert hunger.

He further noted that shipments of maize had started and the consignment was expected at Beira and Maputo ports soon.

“Vessels laden with 100,000 metric tonnes of maize are now in transit and expected to be at Beira and Maputo ports in a fortnight.

“Whilst we’ve also engaged the National Railways of Zimbabwe and the CFM of Mozambique to rail into the country, the quantum of maize is too huge and requires us to procure road transport so that the maize is quickly freighted into the hinterland and avoid congestion,” said Musarara.

President Mugabe earlier this month declared a state of disaster due to the El Nino phenomenon, which is causing a serious drought.

Crops in most parts of the country have been declared a write-off and the country is looking to import maize from other countries to tide Zimbabwe over until the next harvesting season.

Minister Gumbo could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.