Zimbabwe Struggles to Curb Smuggling as Festive Season Nears

Key Points

• Zimbabwe loses $1 billion annually due to smuggling.
• 24-hour roadblocks launched to tackle festive season smuggling.
• Smugglers face arrests, fines, and confiscation of vehicles and goods.

Due to a shortage of essential supplies, such as fuel for task force teams, the Zimbabwean government claims it is having difficulty stopping smuggling as the holiday season draws near.

Fuel shortage derails anti-smuggling campaign across 10 provinces

Official figures show that smuggling at Zimbabwe’s porous borders costs the country up to $1 billion a year.

According to New Zimbabwe, Thomas Utete Wushe, Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce, stated during a news conference that the lack of fuel has made it more difficult for all ten provinces to erect efficient barriers to combat smuggling over the holidays.

“Multi-stakeholder roadblocks, including the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), have been established to stop these malpractices.

Additionally, all border stations now have stricter restrictions in place, and buses are thoroughly searched, Wushe said.

However, he noted, “the effective rollout of task force activities across all 10 provinces has been largely constrained by the unavailability of resources like fuel.”

This is particularly regrettable because the upcoming holiday season is when dishonest business owners try to circumvent the law in order to increase their earnings.

“In light of the above, resources need to be made available to facilitate intensified enforcement checks, awareness campaigns, and stricter border control and roadblock inspections to curb the influx of smuggled goods,” Wushe stated.

Tafadzwa Muguti, the secretary for presidential affairs and devolution, told reporters in Harare on Tuesday that 24-hour checkpoints would be implemented over the holiday season.

“The operation is expected to ramp up during the holiday season, which is when smuggling activity tends to peak because returning Zimbabwean expatriates are known to bring items that avoid customs duty, making things more difficult for local manufacturers,” Muguti stated.

Multi-agency teams tighten customs checks on buses and retailers

All provinces have been instructed to erect roadblocks along important city routes around-the-clock, he continued. 

“When the authorities conduct roadblocks, travelers will need to provide documentation of their customs declarations,” Muguti stated. “Shops and retailers will also be inspected, and evidence of import documents will be needed. 

“The state will oppose bail, and smugglers will be arrested,” Muguti stated. “To deter future offenses, stricter penalties will be imposed on individuals and businesses involved in counterfeiting and smuggling.”

The government will consider items “smuggled” unless the vendor presents documentary proof that customs duty has been properly accounted for, Muguti added in a harsh warning to dishonest officials who take bribes to help smuggle products.