Potato smuggling still rife

PCZ vice-chairman Ronald Museka had earlier challenged the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and law enforcers to put in place punitive measures to thwart the smuggling of potatoes into the country so as to ensure that local farmers remain viable and able to contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector.

In an interview with The Zimbabwean recently scores of travellers and cross-border traders known as Omalayisha admitted bribing ZIMRA officials, police and security officers manning Beitbridge border post to smuggle potatoes from South Africa to Zimbabwe.

“With the aid of government officials working here in Beitbridge we are covered as it’s all about your money to do whatever you want. I carry more than 1,000 bags of potatoes, carrots and butternuts to the country on a weekly basis,” said Mpume Ndlovu, who has been in the cross-border transport industry for the past 14 years.

Samantha Mataruse of Masvingo said she had established her permanent smuggling contact among ZIMRA officials.

“The only way to survive in smuggling is by creating a good working relationship with ZIMRA officials. We survive through them and they also survive through us so there is nothing wrong with smuggling in potatoes. You give them money and they clear everything for you without problems,” she said.

An impeccable source at ZIMRA, who refused to be named fearing reprisals, confirmed these illicit activities.

“There is gross corruption here. Employees are being lowly paid by the government, so the only way to make money is to constantly take bribes from travellers and cross-border traders. People mustn’t expect any changes as long as the government fails to pay reasonable salaries to the officials involved in the daily running of this border post,” said the source.

Since its formation in July last year, the PCZ has been battling against potato smuggling, which has become a major challenge in its quest to ensure adequate production and accessibility of potatoes on the local market.

Meanwhile, Umguza Farmers Association chairman Ian Kay, was recently quoted in the media castigating vegetable traders in Bulawayo for promoting the influx of imported potatoes saying: “Do you have the country at heart or you are just doing this for the love of the United States dollar?”

The Umguza Farmers Association is trying to implement its plan to crop 30 hectares of potatoes as a pilot project for their projected 200 hectares to be put under the crop in future.