The South African Council of Churches (SACC) is still waiting for clearance certificates from the Zimbabwe government for the transport of a consignment of relief food to that country, the SACC said on Monday.
”All the paperwork has been submitted … we are waiting,” said SACC spokesperson Ron Steele.
Thirty-seven tonnes of white maize, sugar beans and cooking oil destined for distribution by the NGO Christian Care are poised to leave a Randburg depot as soon as permission is granted by Zimbabwean authorities.
A load of blankets is already in storage in a bonded warehouse in Zimbabwe.
The SACC is sending the food as part of its response to the socio-economic crisis in the Southern African country.
On Saturday August 13, when all the aid trucks were to leave for Zimbabwe, only the truck carrying blankets was dispatched.
At the time, SACC deputy secretary general Eddie Makue said: ”The truck with blankets is the one leaving for Zimbabwe this morning. The other two trucks have been delayed because the duty-free certificate has not been organised.
”We have intervention from the highest authority but there’s a Zimbabwean official who is delaying the process. Otherwise, the trucks are sealed and ready to leave.”
He said Zimbabwean authorities had told the council they would issue the certificate by that Friday, August 12.
The trucks had by then been standing idle in Johannesburg for about a week after the Zimbabwean government refused to issue clearance certificates because they feared maize on board could be genetically modified. — Sapa