The real time exercise on the application of the Information Tracking   System (ITS), organized within the SADC Project and involving     DRC,  Zambia and Zimbabwe draws close to completion. The trucks   that started their journey on 22 November from Lubumbashi, DRC,   crossed into Zambia at Kasumbalesa and in the evening hours of 25   November reached the Zimbabwean border at the Chirundu check   point. This border crossing is a one stop entry point, where the     border management is integrated and performed by the two states at   the same time and place. There the Radiation Protection Authority   (RPA) in Zambia and its homologue in Zimbabwe, carried out jointly a simulated inspection on the transport convoy.

 Later on that day Dr. Boster Dearson Sewila, Director, RPA –    Zambia,  and Dr. Justice Chipuru, CEO, RPA-Zimbabwe met at the    border, accompanied by members of their teams. They discussed    the  excellent collaboration between the regulatory institutions of the    two  neighboring countries in the field of nuclear and radiation safety     and  security, and also possibilities to formalize and expand this    relationship through a bilateral memorandum on information sharing    and exchange of experience. The two officials appreciated the    assistance in capacity building rendered by the European Union   through the Project MC5.01/15B Support to Southern African States in Nuclear Safety and Safeguards, implemented by ISTC. They also expressed satisfaction over the provision of the ITS, the useful IT tool, developed by Software Company, Bulgaria, that provides real time data on the location of the monitored container transport and allows the movement to be viewed on electronic maps.

   Prior to the exercise, Software Company   conducted   training on the   usage of the tracking   system that   lasted for 5 days and involved   participants from DRC,   Zambia and Zimbabwe.   Earlier, in 2019,   similar   week  long training took   place at Livingston, Zambia.   This   time   it was   carried out online and attracted   participants from   two   categories – civil servants of   the nuclear   regulators, and employees   of other   stakeholders,   notably the transporting companies,   involved in shipments of uranium dioxide and   radioactive materials. The participants that came from   the radiation protection authorities and other government agencies were 35 in number, five of whom were women. At the exit test of the training the average score reached 74 percent of the possible maximum results. The group of trainees that came from companies was 39 people strong, five of whom were women. On 26 November, at a remote closing ceremony, Nikolay Palov, CEO, Software Company, handed over certificates of attendance to the African partners that successfully completed the course. One of them, Dickson Mwanja, expressed the opinion of many when he stated that the Information Tracking System will be very helpful in his everyday work on the road and he will recommend that his company makes use of it consistently and systematically.