Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
40
Figure 9. Passenger hall for northbound traffic at the Chirundu OSBP
Source: AfDB expert interview, 2016
Jurisdiction at the OSBP is exercised by the officer performing the controls, instead of being
based on the jurisdiction of the national territory in which the controls are performed. Also,
officers enforce their own border control laws even when acting in the adjoining country, but
only within the common control zone established by the Bilateral Agreement between Zambia
and Zimbabwe. Wherever possible, inspections and other procedures are carried out jointly to
increase the effectiveness and to save in total time spent.
In addition, cross-border risk assessment of persons and goods is employed to the extent
possible, and, if at any point in the processing persons are denied exit or entry or an arrest is
made or goods are confiscated, return of said persons or goods is allowed. Finally, national
police addresses any law and order offenses that occur on national territory. Any regulatory
infringements that occur in the performance of border control duties is referred to the agency
management to which the officer reports.
State-of-play today
Chirundu – with the Zambezi River as a natural boundary – is the only functioning OSBP in
Zambia at the moment. Other OSBPs are currently being developed at other major entry points.
The Chirundu OSBP, with separate terminals for the clearance of passengers and cargo,
operates from 6am to 10pm every day – while other border crossings have different operating
times on the two sides of the border. The Chirundu OSBP handles the following volumes, with
the traffic peaks occurring from October to December each year: commercial traffic averages
250 trucks per day north- and southbound, passenger buses average 12 per day each with 70
passengers and passenger cars average 30 per day. Thus the Chirundu OSBP is the busiest
entry point for Zambia.58
58 AfDB Expert interview, 2016.
Immigration Customs Interpol
Other Agencies Customs Immigration
Entry Exit
Customs Office
CustomsCashier
Zambian Operations
Immigration
Cashier
ZimbabweanSupervisor
ZambianSupervisor
Zambian Entry
Zimbabwe Exit