Smuggling along Moza border worries MP ‘Smuggling cancerous to economic growth’
CHIREDZI South legislator Cde Kallisto Gwanetsa has raised concern about the rampant smuggling along the border with Mozambique.
He said that the country was losing a lot of potential revenue as a result of well-orchestrated syndicates involving rogue law enforcement agents, transporters and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officers.
Cde Gwanetsa, who was recently re-elected for another term, made the remarks during an evaluation tour of the constituency.
He said the corrupt activities were rampant along illegal crossing points where stolen vehicles from South Africa were being smuggled en-route to Mozambique.
He said other items such as second-hand clothes and fuel were also being smuggled into the country through the same points.
“We are not doing business if we still have civil servants who continue to engage in corruption by assisting and allowing the free passage of goods into the country daily,” he said.
“Sango Border Post is now being abused excessively by individuals who are failing to adjust to the dictates of the new dispensation.
“Second-hand clothes, stolen vehicles, fuel among other things are being smuggled in and out of the country through illegal crossing points in our constituency. Some of the common points are Dumisa and Muguvisa.”
Cde Gwanetsa said the upgrading of major roads and those along the border had resulted in an improvement in border patrols by authorities.
He said though the roads were good for patrols, others were taking advantage of the good state of the roads to transport contraband across the borders.
Cde Gwanetsa said there was need to equip security agents and to increase patrols at all crime hotspots.
“Since most of roads were refurbished early this year, there has been an influx of smugglers’ trucks around our borders,” he said.
“They are plying the route daily. The revenue we should be getting as Government is lost as a result of the conduct of some civil servants deployed to manage the border.” A MASVINGO magistrate has urged the country’s law enforcement authorities to scale up the fight against smuggling, which he said was a cancerous disease that continues to bleed the country’s economy.
Mr Peter Madhibha made the remarks while trying Nomore Masocha (25) of Runyararo West suburbs for smuggling a contraband of 15 000 counterfeit Eversharp pens from Mozambique into the country.
Masocha was fined $100 and if he fails to pay he will be jailed for 30 days.
His contraband was forfeited to the State.
He was arrested on July 7 in the city during a police blitz, while selling his counterfeit pens near a local shop.
The exercise was necessitated by the influx of counterfeit products on the local market.
Handing down the sentence, Mr Madhibha said smuggling was affecting Government’s thrust to rebuild the economy.
“Smuggling is just cancerous to the country’s economic growth trajectory.
“It should be condemned in the strongest terms,” he said.
Prosecuting, Mr Edmond Mapope told the court that the accused was nabbed by the police during the blitz on unregistered goods or those with forged trademarks.
He said the accused was arrested at OK Departmental Stores, where he was also selling 30 dispensers worth $450.
He said Masocha led the police to one of the suppliers, Talent Ushe based in Mucheke A who was found in possession of 118 dispensers worth $1 770.
He is expected to stand trial soon.