Zimra breakfast meeting opens Pandora box

A stakeholder engagement breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) to strengthen relations with taxpayers and improve voluntary compliance turned contentious last week as businesspeople, transport operators and residents voiced growing frustration over operations at the Mapane roadblock near Gwanda.

The meeting, which brought together representatives from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), taxi operators, members of the business community and ZIMRA officials, was intended to provide taxpayer education, improve regulatory understanding and create a platform for stakeholders to raise concerns.

Instead, discussions were dominated by complaints about what participants described as a "second border post" at Mapane, where travellers and transport operators face additional inspections after already clearing customs at Beitbridge Border Post.

Business leaders accused ZIMRA of duplicating processes and subjecting compliant travellers to unnecessary delays, seizures and financial losses.

Thomas Gwatida, chairperson of the Matabeleland South chapter of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, said the Mapane checkpoint had become a source of anxiety for many traders and ordinary citizens.

"We are here to be educated about tax issues, but we must also air our grievances about the second border post at Mapane, manned by ZIMRA," Gwatida told the meeting.

"We worry that after completing all paperwork at the border, we are still referred back or risk losing our goods through impoundment. These impounded goods range from groceries to motor vehicles. We need satisfactory answers about the second border post in Gwanda."

Commuters travelling between Beitbridge and Bulawayo have frequently complained about lengthy delays at the checkpoint, with some bus passengers reportedly spending more than eight hours undergoing secondary inspections as officials enforce the US$200 personal rebate threshold and conduct searches for undeclared goods.

The operations have increasingly attracted criticism from travellers, businesses and lawmakers, who question why vehicles cleared at Beitbridge are subjected to further scrutiny hundreds of kilometres inland.

Businessman Ndonsi Nkomo of KwaNdosi Enterprises said the repeated inspections had raised concerns about consistency within the customs system.

"Why are the same goods cleared twice by the same authority at different points along the same route? Personally, I am not happy and suspect foul play," he said.

SME entrepreneur Vusumuzi Zulu echoed similar sentiments, questioning whether there was a lack of confidence in customs procedures carried out at Beitbridge.

"Are Gwanda ZIMRA officers more qualified than those in Beitbridge, or are they corrupt? I hope to gain clarity from this meeting. We appreciate the opportunity for education," said Zulu.

"The Mapane roadblock is not only a nightmare for motorists but also a problem for Beitbridge-Bulawayo road users."

The concerns come amid broader public debate over anti-smuggling operations and allegations of corruption at inland checkpoints. Complaints of extortion, harsh confiscations and inconsistent enforcement have prompted the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to intensify awareness campaigns and increase monitoring of roadblocks operated by the National Anti-Smuggling Taskforce.

Responding to criticism during the meeting, ZIMRA officials defended the existence of the Mapane checkpoint, explaining that not all goods entering the country pass through legal ports of entry.

Officials said inland inspections were necessary to intercept smuggled goods and ensure compliance with customs regulations, although they acknowledged that compliant travellers could sometimes be inconvenienced by the operations.

The issue has also reached Parliament, where legislators have questioned the legality and fairness of some customs enforcement measures.

Matabeleland South Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa recently raised concerns in the Senate over what she described as a punitive customs enforcement regime linked to a Treasury directive ordering the automatic forfeiture of goods deemed to have been smuggled.

Speaking in the Senate, Mlotshwa warned that the policy could have severe consequences for ordinary citizens, small traders and cross-border entrepreneurs.

"This directive has far-reaching consequences for ordinary Zimbabweans, for traders, and for the integrity of our governance system," she said.

According to Mlotshwa, the policy risks criminalising individuals who make innocent documentation errors while exposing travellers to the permanent loss of goods without adequate opportunities to regularise compliance or pay outstanding duties.

She further questioned whether such measures comply with Section 68 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to fair administrative conduct.

Mlotshwa also argued that inland checkpoints, including those at Mapane, have effectively transformed towns such as Gwanda into "quasi-border posts," creating opportunities for harassment, extortion and abuse of authority.

The growing criticism highlights the delicate balance facing authorities as they attempt to combat smuggling while maintaining public confidence in customs enforcement.

For many stakeholders, the central question remains whether anti-smuggling measures can be enforced without imposing excessive burdens on compliant travellers and legitimate businesses.

As pressure mounts from business groups, commuters and lawmakers, calls are increasing for a review of inland customs operations to ensure that enforcement efforts do not undermine trade, investment and public trust in the country's revenue collection system.