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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 29-year-old car dealer who was in the habit of buying cars for resale from Botswana before smuggling them through Beitbridge border post under the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) facility has been jailed for two years.
Joseph Chibongore, who is based in Chitungwiza, was arrested in Beitbridge last week for smuggling five vehicles between March and October this year as he attempted to commit the same crime.
Under the TIP facility, foreigners or Zimbabweans based in other countries are allowed to bring their vehicles into the country duty free for 30 days only.
If they wish to extend their stay in the country they are allowed to seek renewal of the TIP from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
Chibongore was convicted on his own plea of guilty to contravening a section of the Customs and Excise Act when he appeared before Ms Gwineth Drawo.
He was left with 24 months effective to serve after Ms Drawo conditionally suspended six months of his 30 months sentence for five years.
The smuggled vehicles were also forfeited to the State as part of the sentence.
Prosecutor, Mr Jabulani Mberesi said on March 14 this year, Chibongore, who is a temporary resident in South Africa, arrived in the country through Beitbridge Border Post driving a Botswana registered Toyota Corolla with registration numbers ACA 006 MP.
He was then issued with a temporary import permit by zimra valid up to April 14. Upon expiry of the permit, he did not remove the car from Zimbabwe or renew the permit with zimra and instead went back to his base in South Africa.
The court further heard that Chibongore smuggled a Toyota Runx on May 26 and employed the same method to smuggle three more vehicles.
The offence came to light after an alert zimra official who was processing documents for another vehicle Chibongore wanted to import realised that he had outstanding acquittals for five other vehicles.
The official alerted the police as he was processing the TIP.
Online Reporter