SMUGGLING syndicates have turned illegal crossing points
dotted along the Limpopo River into permanent camping sites where huge
consignments of goods worth millions of dollars are illegally brought in and
out of the country daily, exposing communities living along the Zimbabwe-South
Africa border to Covid-19.
The smugglers use hired inflatable boats to ferry the
smuggled goods across the river to either side of the border for varying fees
ranging from R150 to R500 depending on the weight of the load.
Several people, mostly regular cross border traders who
make a living out of buying and selling goods sourced from South Africa, are
the main culprits.
They are defying lockdown regulations by illegally crossing
the border, raising concerns of the spread of the coronavirus in areas lying along
the border. The smugglers do not even take extra precautions to curb the spread
of Covid-19 such as wearing face masks and sanitising.
South Africa has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in
Africa.
Vice President Kembo Mohadi, who leads the country’s
taskforce to tackle the pandemic, recently said smugglers operating along
Zimbabwe’s borders with South Africa and Mozambique pose a serious threat to
efforts to contain the coronavirus.
He urged people to take Covid-19 seriously, saying if
people are allowed through the porous border line, Zimbabwe was likely to
suffer the consequences since the country is not equipped to fight the scourge.
Investigations by a Chronicle news crew at the weekend made
startling revelations of how smuggling syndicates are carrying out their
nefarious activities right under the nose of security agents.
The news crew observed that the illegal crossing points are
used as major conduits for smuggling goods in and out of the country such as
cigarettes, beer, groceries and household property.
The smuggling syndicates are capitalising on the high
demand for their “services” as desperate cross-border traders affected by the
closure of Beitbridge Border Post to human traffic, resort to border jumping.
Beitbridge Border Post has since the national lockdown been
closed to human traffic save for commercial cargo as part of Covid-19 lockdown
regulations.
The illegal activities are carried out in broad day light,
raising strong suspicion that soldiers and police could be part of the
smuggling syndicates.
Our news crew visited selected undesignated crossing points
at River Ranch and Panda Mine Gates 2 and 7 outside Beitbridge where a group of
men and women are involved in assisting smugglers to illegally cross the
Limpopo River into farms in the neighbouring country where they eventually
board lifts to Musina.
Ms Letwin Ndou of Tshingwanyani Village in Beitbridge, said
they bribe South African soldiers to illegally enter the neighbouring country
and upon returning with groceries, they bribe Zimbabwean soldiers for passage.
“Zimbabwean soldiers and police are not a problem whenever
illegally crossing the river and they only demand bribes when we return from
South Africa. However, on the South African side, soldiers want money to allow
us entry and usually we pay between R50 and R60,” she said.
Ms Ndou illegally crosses the border to Musina daily to buy
groceries for resale back home.
Our news crew also caught up with another female smuggler
at River Ranch illegal crossing point. Unaware that she was speaking to
journalists, the woman revealed that she was waiting for a truck carrying her
consignment of work suits worth R50 000.
Some local villagers are also capitalising on increased
smuggling activities by selling lunch to starving smugglers.
Ms Surprise Mukwevho of Mapayi Village, frequents the Panda
Mine illegal crossing point daily where she operates an illegal food vending
site on the banks of the Limpopo River, targeting smugglers and people waiting
to assist border jumpers.
“I am making a lot of money out of Covid-19 because lately
this place has been a hive of activity since the closure of the border. A lot
of people who want to smuggle their goods use these illegal crossing points and
they are forced to spend hours waiting for their goods to be transported,” she
said.
Posing as potential clients, our journalists approached one
Mr Mpho Muleya of Makakavhule, who offered to assist them in illegally crossing
the border to South Africa to buy cooking oil in Musina.
Mr Muleya escorted them to South Africa using a narrow walkway
across the Limpopo River. On the South African side of the border, they were
escorted to Muruti Farm where a gate was opened for them together with several
other smugglers who had arrived earlier.
Minutes later, a South African pirate taxi pulled to a halt
and three female and two male smugglers boarded the car to Musina. The taxi
fare from Muruti Farm to Musina is R150 for a single trip.
Inflatable boats are also used to transport smugglers to
either side of the border for R50 per person.
An inflatable boat operator, who only identified himself as
Melusi, said he has found rich pickings in transporting smuggled goods,
realising about R4 000 on a good day.
“There is high demand for our services because a lot of
people are crossing into South Africa through illegal crossing points and they
hire our boats to ferry the smuggled goods and we charge R150 per load and my
boat can carry up to 25 boxes of cooking oil or green bar soap,” he said.
Morris Mudau of Mapayi, who is involved in assisting border
jumpers, claimed he was working with police and soldiers on both sides of the
border.
“I have been involved in this business of escorting people
to illegal crossing points and assisting them to cross the river for the past
five years. I have never made a lot of money like now and to me coronavirus is
a blessing in disguise,” he said.
Asked whether he was not afraid of police and soldiers
manning the border area, the seemingly unfazed Mudau replied: “My friend, we
are in this game together. Once I get clients (smugglers and border jumpers),
I make it a point that I alert soldiers and police
operating in my turf and after the job is done, I give them their share and we
call it clearance fee.”
Like many other border jumping linchpins, Mudau says his
“business” thrives on “connections” in both countries. He said on a good day,
he takes home about R5 000.
Makakavhule senior village head, Ms Priscilla Matike,
expressed concern over the smuggling activities in her area. She said due to
glaring border control laxity, communities along the border are living in fear
as they are now exposed to Covid-19.
“As a community we are extremely worried about these
smuggling activities, which are posing a health threat, especially in light of
Covid-19. We had a meeting with local health workers and they conducted
awareness programmes on Covid-19, but sadly smuggling continues unabated
despite the presence of police and soldiers patrolling the area,” she said.
“We now suspect that police and soldiers are working in
cahoots with smuggling syndicates because these illegalities are happening
under their watch.”
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said he was not aware that smugglers were working in cahoots with police
patrolling the area.
He, however, said investigations would be conducted.
Chronicle
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