Matabeleland South Senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa has demanded answers over the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (ZIMRA) new inland checkpoint in Gwanda, describing it as an unnecessary and unjustified burden that is frustrating citizens and effectively creating a “second border post” inside the country, just after the Beitbridge Border Post.
Raising a Point of National Interest in the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Mlotshwa said the checkpoint in Gwanda had become a nightmare for travellers, particularly those arriving from Johannesburg.
She said ZIMRA officers were stopping every bus and vehicle with South African registration plates to search goods, re-check customs declarations and in some cases, confiscate items where duty had not been paid.
“I rise on a point of national interest regarding a matter that is frustrating thousands of citizens daily and undermining the ease of doing business in our country,” Mlotshwa told the Senate.
“ZIMRA has quietly established an additional inland checkpoint in Gwanda, where every single vehicle coming from Johannesburg is stopped, sometimes for hours and hours on end. This has become a second border post, yet ZIMRA already has full authority, equipment and manpower at Beitbridge Border Post, our official port of entry.”
Travellers, cross-border traders and families have been complaining for weeks about the checkpoint, where buses are ordered to offload all luggage.
Passengers are required to produce their stamped border customs declaration forms. Any discrepancy between declared goods and what is found can result in duty payments demanded on the spot, or confiscation of goods.
This has caused widespread anger as some travellers admitted people often choose not to declare goods at the border or misrepresent their value, partly because they wish to avoid high duty charges.
However, the senator argued the inland checkpoint was not the solution.
Senator Mlotshwa said the system raised serious questions about governance, policy consistency and the treatment of citizens.
She listed five major concerns.
“Duplication of roles – ZIMRA must conduct thorough checks at the border. Creating a second checkpoint 150km inside the country is unnecessary and burdensome.”
“Economic disruption – Travellers, businesspeople, cross-border traders and even ordinary families are losing hours on the road due to a system that seems designed to delay rather than facilitate movement.”
“Safety and humanitarian concerns – Vehicles queuing for long periods in remote areas, including at night, exposes citizens to danger, robberies and discomfort, especially women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.”
“Lack of transparency – There is no clear communication to the public regarding the legal basis, purpose, or duration of this inland station.”
“Contradiction of national policy – Zimbabwe says it is improving the ease of doing business, modernising borders and reducing bottlenecks. Yet the lived experience on the ground tells a different story.”
The senator said Parliament cannot watch while travellers cleared at Beitbridge are subjected to a second clearance in Gwanda.
“This is inefficient, costly and unnecessary,” she said, formally asking the Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube and ZIMRA’s Commissioner-General, Regina Chinamasa, to explain more.
“What is the purpose of this inland checkpoint? Why are travellers being delayed for hours? Why is this not done at the border where it belongs? Does ZIMRA have the authority to effectively establish an unofficial second border post within the country?”
Senator Mlotswa added that Zimbabweans deserve efficient systems while ZIMRA “must do its job thoroughly at the border, not create parallel structures that punish citizens.”
In response, the Deputy President of the Senate advised the senator to submit the questions formally in writing to the Minister of Finance.
Commenting on the issue, General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Communist Party (ZCP), Nqabutho Nicholas Mabhena, said the national anger must be understood within the broader context of duty avoidance, protection of local industry and government policy contradictions.
“It is human nature, all of us want to buy goods wherever and not pay duty. When you impose duty, people will want to resist. It is human nature,” he said.
As the leader of the ZCP, Mabhena said their movement was not driven by populism but responsibility.
“A communist party does not follow the flow of masses but its responsibility is to educate the masses and provide the line of march. Many Zimbabweans who work in South Africa or those with relatives there would want to purchase goods in South Africa and not pay duty at the border, that is what we all desire,” he said.
However, Mabhena noted that protecting the local economy was important yet cautioned that ZIMRA’s current approach was unfairly targeting ordinary citizens while large businesses continued to import goods with impunity.
“It is important to protect local industries, but what is wrong is for ZIMRA to target all of us. Then big supermarkets stock goods bought from South Africa, that is criminal because these local supermarkets are not selling products manufactured in Zimbabwe,” Mabhena said.
“So ZIMRA is trying to protect big capital so retail shops stock products brought from outside, then want all of us to buy South African products in local shops. That is wrong and criminal. What must be done is our supermarkets must sell locally made products.”
Mabhena added that supporting local industry must not translate into exploitation.
“Let’s protect local industry, but what is wrong is exploitation of one by the other. We are not for populism. We want to protect local industries only. When you are in power, if the government is coming up with policies that would contribute to growth of the economy, we must support them. We must not do everything to collapse the economy so that we get into power, that is reactionary. When we say we are Pan-Africanists, patriots, nationalists, we must protect industries,” he said.
The ZCP leader also called for strict accountability on duty revenue.
“We must monitor that the money collected from the borders as duty by ZIMRA is used correctly. Government and ruling party officials should not squander that money. In any case, any corrupt officials should be prosecuted,” Mabhena said.
“If it means hanging them, we must not tolerate corruption. China is doing well in fighting corruption and socialism with Chinese characteristics as a philosophy, has pulled millions out of poverty under the leadership of Chinese communism.”
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