Tanzania’s Trade War Against Malawi and South Africa, Will It Get Better?

Last week but one, on Thursday, Hussein Bashe, Minister for Agriculture, gave a nearly one-week ultimatum to the Republics of Malawi and South Africa to reverse their position on import policies over Tanzania’s maize, rice, maize flour, plantains and ginger.

While the statement, posted on X platform (formerly Twitter) didn’t specifically mention types of crops from Tanzania that were blocked by the government of South Africa, the most industrialised nation in Africa wasn’t spared.

This decision was reached after failed diplomatic efforts by the government of Tanzania to change the status. Mr Bashe went on to recall a similar situation that Tanzania faced when tried to open up avocado market in South Africa before it was allowed.

“The government (of Tanzania) has received an official communication that the Government of Malawi has banned importation of various agricultural crops from Tanzania, including, flour, Rice, Ginger, Plantains and Maize. This measure has directly affected activities of our businessmen who exports crops to Malawi”.

“It should be understood that for the past five years the Government has taken a lot of efforts to open up a market for Plantains in South Africa to no avail. This situation is akin to challenges we faced for the past ten years in finding the market for avocadoes, till we decided to take actions to protect our interests.

” Once this ultimatum elapses without any change in position by the Governments of Malawi and South Africa Tanzania would retaliate by Wednesday, last week. Well, it happened.

The governments of Malawi and South Africa didn’t budge in, they literally stood they ground and as promised the youthful Minister of Agriculture came back , again on X, this time with a video announcing retaliatory steps. It was worse on both sides, whereas crops imports from Malawi were blocked, fertilisers that have been transiting through the port of Dar es Salaam would also be blocked. South was not in good shape as well, all agricultural crops expected to Tanzania were banned, this included apples and grapes.

“By this time, 6 pm, as Minister for Agriculture, I have not received any notice (from Malawi and South Africa). Therefore, I officially announce staring this night the following issues to these two countries. South Africa has been exporting to Tanzania fresh apples, therefore from today it’s illegal to import South African fresh apples. South Africa exports different fruits, including grapes, now from today it’s illegal to import South African fruits.

Therefore, we will not allow any agricultural crop from South Africa to come to our country”.

“Regarding Malawi, by this time they haven’t deleted their notice that they issued. Therefore, I officially declare it’s illegal to import, to the United Republic of Tanzania, any agricultural crop from Malawia starting today. Apart from that to the two countries especially Malawi, we will not allow any crop that is on transit to pass through the United Republic of Tanzania”.