Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe,Zimpapers Business Hub
In a significant blow to a sophisticated cross-border smuggling syndicate, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has intercepted a tanker carrying 40 000 litres of ethanol, with an estimated value of R11 million, suspected to be destined for the illicit liquor trade in Zimbabwe.
The operation unfolded on a plot of land near Klipspruit, outside Bronkhorstspruit, where the illegally diverted ethanol was being prepared for transit.
According to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), SARS officials and police raided the property and discovered individuals in the act of decanting the dangerous liquid into flow-bins for loading onto trucks.
The operation expanded significantly as the authorities’ investigation deepened.
According to SABC, SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko confirmed the seizure of multiple vehicles and a far larger volume of contraband than initially anticipated.
It is believed the liquid was destined for Zimbabwe, SABC reported.
“Upon investigation, our team found more than 92 000 litres of ethanol. This ethanol is used to manufacture illicit liquor. Our team also found more than 30 000 litres of paraffin with people trying to process it and removing what we call a a1marker,” Sibeko stated.
The scene was one of panic and abandonment as the suspects evaded capture.
“This led to more than three different areas in the vicinity being investigated. Our team found trucks. On approaching the area, the drivers immediately dashed for their lives,” he added.
This seizure is not an isolated incident but part of a dangerous pipeline feeding Zimbabwe’s underground alcohol industry.
The recent bust of a massive illicit brewery in Harare underscores the scale and audacity of this trade.
Recently, 33 people, including seven directors of the Samna Liquor company, were arrested for operating an illicit brewery at Arlington industrial park.
The company was alleged to have been manufacturing and distributing four types of dangerous beer labelled Jay-Dox vodka, Happy Cheers mint Vodka, Happy Cheers whiskey premium and Jay-Dox brandy.
Police revealed the operation had been running since 2024, with its 25 employees working without food handling certificates, recklessly endangering public health.
Five distribution vehicles and thousands of dollars worth of stock were seized.
The final product of this illicit chain is a toxic brew known on the streets as njengu or the “US$1 for two combo”.
It has become the notorious go-to drink for cash-strapped youths, sold in the shadows of city markets and high-density suburbs.
Infamous for its devastating potency, the brew leaves a trail of chaos, addiction, and shattered health in its wake.
For years, health experts and authorities have issued grave warnings that njengu contains dangerously unregulated levels of ethanol and other substances, directly linked to liver failure, blindness and death.
SARS has vowed to maintain pressure on the criminal networks profiting from this economy of misery.
The revenue service condemned the activity in the strongest terms, linking it to a broader fight against illicit trade that robs the state and destroys communities.
“SARS condemns this in the strongest possible terms and promises that it will continue to deal with the illicit economy,” spokesperson Sibeko said.
Thank you for this action. Parents we are crying with a big problem of addiction. We can win this war if the government chooses to do so. This problem is now at a massive scale, with the corrupt police turning a blind eye in the streets and outlets. In some cases connected people are involved to the demise of our beloved nation. This a big cry for help.