Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
A company and one of its directors have appeared before the Harare Magistrates Court on allegations of smuggling 977 500 litres of diesel into Zimbabwe without declaring the fuel to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
The complainant is Zimra, represented by its loss control manager, Mr Hillary Simbaneuta.
The accused are Blessful Catering (Pvt) Ltd and one of its directors, Liranzo Mitchel Masiya (34).
Masiya was remanded in custody pending the determination of her bail application.
Prosecutor Mr Takudzwa Jambawu alleged that in 2022, the accused registered a company known as Blessful Creation (Pvt) Ltd, purportedly to provide catering services across the country.
However, sometime in 2026, Masiya, together with other company directors and one Marvin Kesani Masiya, who is still at large, allegedly hatched a plan to smuggle diesel into Zimbabwe from Mozambique and South Africa using the company.
The fuel was allegedly brought into the country through the Chikwalakwala, Forbes and Beitbridge border posts.
The court heard that on July 23, 2026, detectives received information that the accused had smuggled diesel from Mozambique through the Forbes Border Post, using the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to transport the consignment.
Acting on the tip-off, detectives proceeded to Rusape NRZ Station, where they allegedly discovered seven railway fuel wagons, each carrying 42 500 litres of diesel, bringing the total to 297 500 litres.
Investigations allegedly revealed that the fuel had been imported under the guise of bitumen.
The State alleges detectives recovered documents from Rusape Station Manager Farai Chipunza, which indicated that the consignment was bitumen rather than diesel.
The documents had allegedly been supplied to NRZ by Marvin Kesani Masiya.
Further investigations allegedly established that the accused had previously imported additional consignments of diesel into Zimbabwe using the same railway route.
The total quantity of diesel allegedly smuggled is 977 500 litres, while the value of the fuel is still being assessed.
The court also heard that in September 2025, the accused allegedly smuggled nine truckloads of methanol from South Africa into Zimbabwe by road without making the required declarations to Zimra.
Following the discovery, Zimra reportedly wrote to the company seeking an explanation over the alleged illicit imports and requesting its current business address.
According to the State, Masiya responded by email acknowledging that the company had imported the nine consignments of methanol.
The prosecution alleges that the company unlawfully imported 977 500 litres of diesel and nine truckloads of methanol from Mozambique and South Africa without declaring the consignments to Zimra, thereby prejudicing the revenue authority.
The total value of the allegedly smuggled fuel and methanol is yet to be ascertained.
