Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
The director of Sinyochiv Procurement Services (Pvt) Ltd, Zimbabwe, a company that imports goods from China, Rutendo Hazel Chiveso (42) has appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts on allegations of defrauding the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) of US$79 986.
Chiveso appeared before magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa and was granted US$300 bail.
She will return to court on September 30 for routine remand. According to court documents in March and April this year, Chiveso through her company Sinyochiv Procurement Services (Pvt) Ltd, Zimbabwe, bought 1 143 cartons of clothes, fake flowers, foam balls, among other goods, weighing 48 020 kg from Long Grand Enterprises Limited in Hong Kong.
The State alleges that sometime in April 2025, the consignment was loaded into two containers, belonging to CMA CGM shipping company, and sealed in China, to be shipped to the Port of Beira, Mozambique, and finally to Harare.
The court heard that in July 2025, the said consignment arrived at the Port of Beira and Chiveso, acting in connivance with Natural Manyeku, a clearing agent for Sequency Freight Pvt Limited, with the intention to evade paying import duty for the consignment, created a fake bill of lading and invoice claiming the consignment to be agriculture implements knowing that they are wholly exempted from paying import duty.
After amending the bill of lading and invoice, Manyeku subcontracted With You Customs Clearing to do ZIMRA clearance for the consignment at Forbes Border Post in Mutare.
In July 2025, the clearing company processed ZIMRA clearance on bill entries number C 16697 and C18711, declaring that the consignment contained agricultural implements, resulting in ZIMRA exempting the goods from paying import duty of US$79 986,58.
