Smugglers bringing second-hand clothes threaten programmes
to contain Covid-19, police have said.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Charity
Mazula said people must understand the impact of Covid-19, and stop smuggling
second-hand clothes since they may potentially spread the virus.
“People need to understand that this disease is real and we
will all die if we allow people through the border line,” said Insp Mazula.
While the neighbouring countries do not have too many cases
of coronavirus, the clothes which come mainly from Europe and the United
States, may potentially carry the virus, which is why Government is determined
to block the threat.
Briefing the media in Masvingo on Thursday last week, the
Covid-19 provincial taskforce’s information and publicity chairman Mr Rogers
Irimai said most of the traders use illegal crossing points to avoid paying
taxes.
“Government is clamping down on second-hand clothes imports
as cross-border Covid-19 infections and smuggling surge,” he said.
“Cross-border traders, who are smuggling bales of second-hand clothes from
neighbouring countries, are defying lockdown regulations and illegally cross
into countries such as South Africa and Mozambique, risking the spread of
Covid-19.”
Smuggling of bales of second hand clothes has been rife for
years, especially along the border with Mozambique.
Mr Irimai said Government should increase the fight against
smuggling of second hand-clothes.
Zimbabwe first banned the importation of second-clothes in
2015, to protect the country’s textile industry, but relaxed the restrictions
two years later as it was a major source of income for informal traders.
The country shut its borders on March 30, to all traffic
except approved cargoes as a measure to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment