MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns over Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) inland checkpoints along the Beitbridge-Gwanda road, questioning their legal basis and the inconvenience caused to travellers and traders.
Matabeleland South senator Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa asked, Economic Development and Investment Promotion deputy minister Kudakwashe Mnangagwa, to clarify the necessity of additional inspections after vehicle clearance at the Beitbridge Border Post and to outline measures preventing inconvenience along the trade corridor.
Mlotshwa’s concerns followed complaints from the travelling public that Zimra’s recently mounted checkpoints in Gwanda and along the Plumtree road were causing lengthy delays and inconvenience.
In response, Mnangagwa said the checkpoints were necessitated by a high incidence of smuggling through porous borderlines on either side of Beitbridge.
“Inland checkpoints along the major trunk roads leading to and from the border are necessitated by a high incidence of smuggling through porous lines,” he said.
He added that cross-border transporters had been picking up smuggled goods inland, as evidenced by seizures recorded since late 2024.
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He noted that the functions of Zimra are enshrined in the Revenue Authority Act, while customs barriers are provided for under the Customs and Excise Act.
He added that security personnel are stationed at the checkpoints for national security considerations.
Mnangagwa said not all vehicles are stopped, and searches are conducted with passenger cooperation to avoid unnecessary delays.
He outlined several measures aimed at improving border efficiency, including the Beitbridge Border Post upgrade, extended operating hours at key ports of entry, and modernisation efforts such as the electronic cargo tracking system, x-ray scanning, and drone surveillance.
He said bill of entry processing times had been reduced from three hours 42 minutes in 2022 to 2 hours 45 minutes by the end of 2025.