Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Zimpapers Writer
BULAWAYO has emerged as one of the country’s smuggling hotspots, ranking second only to Harare in a countrywide crackdown on illicit trade and other economic malpractices.
According to official figures, the city accounted for 16 percent of all inspections carried out under the ongoing anti-smuggling blitz, trailing Harare’s dominant 54 percent share. Manicaland came third with 14 percent, while other provinces recorded single-digit shares.
The ongoing campaign, spearheaded by a multi-agency taskforce chaired by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, targets a wide range of offences, including currency manipulation, smuggling, operating without licences, selling expired or improperly labelled goods and other activities deemed harmful to consumers and the economy.
Presenting the 2025 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review last Thursday, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the blitz is part of broader reforms aimed at sanitising the business environment, protecting consumers and stabilising the local market.
“The malpractices have a devastating effect on the economy and the consuming public are being exposed to some health risk due to the consumption of substandard and counterfeit or fake products,” said Prof Ncube.
The inspections span all 10 provinces, with Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North and Mashonaland East each at 3 percent, Midlands and Mashonaland Central at 1 percent, Masvingo at 2 percent and Matabeleland South at 3 percent.
The taskforce includes officers from the Consumer Protection Commission, Trade Measures, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), local authorities, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
Its operations cover a wide array of goods, including beverages, mealie-meal, meat and dairy products, detergents and confectioneries.
Authorities are also clamping down on the non-payment of sugar content tax and the use of unapproved sweeteners by beverage manufacturers.
Prof Ncube said the blitz had already produced results, enhancing border security through increased surveillance and checkpoints that deter smuggling, while improving co-ordination and intelligence-sharing among enforcement agencies.
“In addition, law enforcement agencies have improved their coordination and information sharing, leading to more effective operations. The collaborative effect of the taskforce has managed to unveil and plug the gaps that organisations operating individually could not comprehend,” he said.
“Government is undertaking an anti-smuggling blitz through a taskforce chaired by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to deal with all forms of business malpractices such as currency manipulation, selling expired products, selling improperly labelled products, smuggling, operating without requisite documentation, to mention but just a few.”
Analysts say Bulawayo’s high inspection rate reflects its role as a strategic commercial hub and a key transit point for goods, making it a prime target for smuggling syndicates and a critical focus for enforcement agencies.
Authorities have vowed zero tolerance for criminal economic conduct and are urging the public to report suspected malpractice to help safeguard the country’s economic integrity.
