Has Zimra lost confidence in its own Beitbridge operations?

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is under fire for what passengers and transport operators are calling a "clear vote of no confidence" in its own border operations at Beitbridge, after a series of buses were once again impounded well beyond the checkpoint — this time at a disused railway station in Masvingo.

Barely an hour after clearing customs at Beitbridge and heading northward, several buses were pulled over by ZIMRA officers and escorted to the derelict siding, where passengers endured harsh conditions including cold, hunger, and a lack of sanitation facilities. Some travellers say they were held for days, with no access to food or proper ablution services.

"This is now a recurring nightmare," said Tinashe Dube, a passenger on one of the impounded buses. "We spend hours being cleared at Beitbridge, only to be stopped again like criminals in Masvingo. Why does ZIMRA even bother manning the border if they're going to double-check everything down the road?"

ZIMRA officials reportedly re-examined the declared duties and cargo on the buses, suspecting under-declaration or smuggling. However, passengers and bus crews argue the agency's actions reflect more about systemic inefficiencies and internal mistrust than enforcement.

"ZIMRA is pushing its inefficiencies on innocent travellers. They treat us like foreigners in our own country," said another traveller. "If their officers at Beitbridge can't do their job, that shouldn't be our burden."

Concerns over ZIMRA's operations were compounded last week when Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer Henry Kwejo testified in court that a consignment of mbanje (cannabis) worth US$22,000 sailed through Beitbridge undetected and was only intercepted in Masvingo.

Analysts say the incident has raised serious questions about corruption and competence at one of the region's busiest border posts. "It's a damning indictment," said economic commentator who preferred not to be named. "If ZIMRA trusts its own procedures so little that it must double-check cargo 300 km away, then the public has every right to question what's really going on at Beitbridge."

No official comment has been issued by ZIMRA as of publication, but calls are growing louder for the authority to address the mounting grievances of travellers and to review its border operations.

Meanwhile, bus operators have warned of possible disruptions to services along the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare route, as they demand clearer guidelines and humane treatment for their staff and passengers.