Smuggled beers flood Siavonga
CHEAP lager beers smuggled from Zimbabwe have flooded the market in Siavonga denying the country the much needed revenue.
A random check by the Daily Nation in the tourist town's bars and shebeens in Mitchell compound and new residential site areas, found popular Black Label, Castle Lite and other brands by Delta Beverages of Zimbabwe being sold cheaper than lagers supplied by Zambian Breweries and other local distributors.
At one of the shabeens, some Zimbabwean smugglers where found selling a case of 24 caned Castle Lite at order price of K96.
A six-pack for bottled Castle Lite and Black Label was being sold at K42 while caned Lion Lager was going at K36.
Bars and lodges in the tourist town are currently stocking various alcohol drinks in particular in redness for the festival season which normally attracts hundreds of visitors during the Christmas and New Year period.
The beer from Zimbabwe is smuggled into Siavonga through Kariba Border Post by cross border traders who carry the liquors on their backs to avoid detection from the eye of the tax men.
Zimbabwe, once Southern Africa's food basket, is facing liquidity crisis which has forced many Zimbabweans living in Kariba town to engage in smuggling of goods into Zambia to sell for cash which they later exchange for US dollars which they later exchange with bond notes introduced by the Zimbabwe government to end the cash shortages in the country.