AN ESIGODINI resident has been convicted of smuggling a motor vehicle through the Beitbridge Border Post.
BY SILAS NKALA
Thembinkosi Sibanda (37) of Habane Township Extension was yesterday remanded to today for sentence following his conviction by resident magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa.
Prosecutor Jefter Nyikadzinashe told the court that sometime in 2015, Sibanda crossed the border into South Africa where he acquired an Isuzu station wagon vehicle.
Sibanda then completed all the necessary clearance formalities in South Africa including having it de-registered from that country’s vehicle data base.
After that, Sibanda drove past the Beitbridge Border Post where he only produced the car’s SARPPCO clearance certificate, but did not pay duty.
Instead he declared the motor vehicle using a temporary import permit.
On March 12, 2015, Sibanda fraudulently registered the car with the Central Vehicle Registry in Zimbabwe and obtained number plates ADQ8904, registration book and a third number plate.
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The scam was only busted on February 13 this year when police received a tip off that the car had been smuggled from South Africa.
Inquiries were made with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority who inspected the vehicle and confirmed that it did not pay duty when it was imported from South Africa.
The car valued at $3 844,75 was seized. The government was prejudiced of revenue amounting to $3 690, 96.
