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While Zimbabwean trade restrictions have taken its toll on local businesses, smugglers are coining it along the Beitbridge border
The recently introduced import ban on some basic commodities by the Zimbabwean government has not only frustrated its citizens, who purchase their stock in South Africa, but it has driven them to smuggling the restricted goods into their country.
The ban has created a niche for smugglers, whose illegal activities have escalated on the outskirts of the Beitbridge border post.
One of the most well-known smuggling spots lies approximately 10km west of Beitbridge, near Maroi Farming in Limpopo. With clear signs of a porous border – numerous holes have been cut into the fence by illegal border jumpers – the “Maroi hole” has become a passage big enough for a medium-sized truck to drive through.
A clearly busy path crossing the border revealed fresh footprints and tracks of what looked like corrugated iron sheets hauled through the bushes and all the way across the Limpopo River. The river is dry, with just a few patches of small puddles, making it easy to cross. A few people could be seen taking heavy strides in the parched sand dunes as they made their way from Zimbabwe to South Africa.
There were also several donkey carts parked on the sand dunes on both sides of the river. These donkey carts are an integral part of the smuggling operation.
“They are waiting for clients who want to get goods into Zimbabwe. From corrugated iron sheets to bags of cement, furniture items and a large quantity of groceries; they’re making a killing out of this difficult situation,” a Zimbabwean national at Maroi said.
He asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.
“Cement and other building materials are madly expensive in Zimbabwe and the use of the US dollar is not helping. Suddenly, people have been told they can’t bring in certain goods from South Africa. And this has given rise to smuggling, and the (Zimbabwean) government is losing the revenue it could have collected at the border gate,” the man said.
Back at Beitbridge, people hoping to make a buck have gloomy faces. Business has been poor in recent days. Zimbabwean national Mhoswa Tapiwa is making a living out of loading goods onto his bicycle and taking them across the border at R100 per load.
“I make about R300 on a bad day, but I have not made a cent in the past three days. People can’t buy whatever they want and bring it home any more,” Tapiwa lamented.
Metered-taxi driver Rasta Mudau said his business had not been spared. The Zimbabwean government’s decision has caused a drop in the number of Zimbabwean shoppers in need of transport from Musina to the border gate.
“We now wait more than an hour for a load because people are not buying any more. The border gate may seem busy with freight trucks lined up here, but the numbers of those who walk across the border to shop this side has dropped drastically and we feel the pain,” he said.
South African businesses in Musina reiterated the sentiments, saying their stock was not moving.
“I am hoping for these restrictions to be lifted soon, not only for us to get business, but for the people of Zimbabwe to access the necessities at affordable prices,” said the owner of a bed shop.
An official at the border gate confirmed a drop in the number of people crossing the border.
“It has dropped by more than half. There is now more activity elsewhere along the border, where smugglers are now enjoying a peak in business,” he said.
A Zimbabwean import and export agent working in Beitbridge said the new regulations were “mostly confusing”. The banned goods listed in the gazetted notice include coffee creamer, camphor cream, wheelbarrows, various building materials, bottled water, some canned food and furniture items.
Although there was high army visibility, with patrols stationed at various spots while others patrolled on foot, horses and vehicles, this did not seem to deter smuggling activities.
“Things are happening right under the army’s nose here. They have probably grown tired of arresting people who are forced into these illegal activities by tough laws, and I think they’d rather be looking for serious criminals than people taking furniture and food across the river,” one of the men standing close to the fenceless borderline in Maroi told City Press.
South Africa soldiers could be seen walking close to Maroi smuggling hot spots and Zimbabwean soldiers were visible from a distance on the other side of the river, sitting under trees.
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