Bus operators demand end to “inland borders”

Zvikomborero Parafini

Court Reporter

BUS operators under the Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organisation (ZPTO) have petitioned the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) to dismantle numerous inland checkpoints, arguing they stifle operations and contradict the Government’s ease of doing business policy.

In a letter dated November 21 to the ZIMRA Commissioner General, copied to high-level Government offices, the operators allege these inland posts have become hubs of corruption, further claiming that enforcement teams use them to solicit bribes from bus crews and passengers.

A central grievance is that buses are impounded and hit with a US$5 000 fine whenever a passenger is found with improperly cleared goods—even though all passengers and their luggage were initially cleared by ZIMRA officials at the official port of entry.

The offending passengers are typically released without charge, while the bus operator bears the financial penalty.

Through their lawyer, Admire Rubaya, the ZPTO said they do not condone smuggling but are seeking a transparent and fair operating environment.

“The buses only reload the passengers and the cargo after the ZIMRA Official responsible has been satisfied that all the goods have been accounted for and declared,” the letter reads. “The transporters do not have control over the clearance processes which occur at the official border posts.”

The operators question the logic of having officials conduct thorough checks at the border, only to have another set of agents repeat the process a short distance away.

They describe this as “a perplexing allegory of a gatekeeper who, after meticulously checking a passport at the gate, is followed by another who demands to see it again a mile down the road.”

This practice, they contend, not only harms business but also infringes on the right to free movement and fosters a public perception of a regression to colonial-era controls.

The letter highlights the financial strain of the impoundments, buses are taken to Bak Storage, which charges daily fees exclusively in US dollars, refusing local currency.

The US$5 000 fine is described as “unjustified” and “disproportionate,” as bus operators only profit from fares and have no legal obligation to police passengers after ZIMRA has cleared them.

In a pointed comparison, the lawyer noted, “No one has ever heard of an aircraft which was impounded because it was carrying a passenger who had goods that were not properly cleared at the port of entry. Why is the law being selectively applied in this manner?”

The operators urge authorities to hold the ZIMRA officials who performed the initial clearance accountable, rather than penalising the transport company.