Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE government’s ban on second-hand clothing imports is a strategic move to curb drug smuggling, following concerns that drug kingpins were exploiting the importation of these bales to traffic narcotics into the country, a Cabinet Minister has revealed.
Early this week, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, announced a blanket ban on the sale of second-hand clothing and night vending throughout the country and on Friday, while addressing Bulawayo City Council councilors and management at the council chambers, Minister Garwe said the ban on second-hand clothes follows an importation ban of the same by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in October last year.
“In October last year, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Government banned the importation of second-hand clothes and subsequently Government has banned the selling of second hand clothes. Government has also banned night vending.
The bales that are coming into the country, come carrying drugs, its one of the routes being used to bring drugs into the country while some of them are bringing in bed bugs, we saw that in Harare recently,” said Minister Garwe.
Minister Garwe said the proliferation of second-hand clothes into the country has also killed the cotton industry and with it people have been left jobless
He said it was disheartening and sobering to think of the fact that some of the companies that used to manufacture clothing were domiciled here in Bulawayo but were no longer in existence.
The Minister said importation, selling of second-hand clothing and night vending has caused serious havoc to the business community in general and had become a serious security threat.
He said Government had nothing against vendors and in fact, it respects them for contributing to the country’s GDP.
“It is those within the rank and file of vendors who are causing these problems, and these are very mobile, never operating from one point, and as such, are difficult to track. These are the people bringing drugs into the country and our communities. The people that are selling second-hand clothes and products at night are actually a cover to an underworld cartel dominated by drugs and substance abuse that is affecting our children,” said Minister Garwe.
