Online ReporterThupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
ORGANISED smuggling syndicates operating along the flooded Limpopo River between Zimbabwe and South Africa have escalated their illegal activities by deploying inflatable boats to ferry contraband goods and undocumented migrants across the border.
Investigations by Zimpapers reveal that the syndicates are capitalising on the post-festive season rush, as desperate border jumpers — mostly undocumented injiva — flock back to South Africa.
The illegal operations are concentrated along both new and existing illegal crossing points, with some syndicate members brazenly operating near the Alfred Beit and New Limpopo bridges, exploiting what authorities describe as porous sections around Beitbridge Border Post.
In response, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has intensified patrols and raids along the river, rounding up suspects and dismantling smuggling infrastructure.
On Wednesday, police in Beitbridge destroyed 24 inflatable boats recovered from different illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.
The boats, which are used to transport goods and people across the fast-flowing river, are sold in South Africa for between R3 000 and R10 000, depending on brand and size.
Officer Commanding Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Mesuli Ncube, said police raided several smuggling bases, arresting some suspects while others fled, abandoning their equipment.
“Between January and December last year, we arrested 1 476 people for smuggling-related offences,” said Chief Supt Ncube.
He added that 515 suspects were arrested for drug peddling, while 9 056 people were apprehended for crimes linked to irregular migration and touting at Beitbridge Border Post, in violation of the Protected Places and Areas Act, among other offences.
Chief Supt Ncube said police also destroyed wooden and log rafts used by smugglers to construct makeshift bridges across the river.
“We are not relenting in our fight against criminal activities along the Limpopo River. During this operation, we destroyed 24 inflatable boats recovered from a number of illegal crossing points,” he said.
“Those arrested are already standing trial, and we want to send a strong warning to others involved in this illegal trade that their days are numbered. We also commend community members for providing information that is helping us curb crime.”
The Limpopo River corridor has long been a hotspot for cross-border crime, particularly during periods of high water levels, when smugglers exploit limited visibility and difficult terrain.
Authorities estimate that Zimbabwe loses millions of dollars annually in potential revenue due to smuggling activities along the border.
Common goods smuggled into Zimbabwe include building materials, stolen vehicles, groceries, fuel, flea market wares, household electrical gadgets and illicit substances such as marijuana and hard drugs.
From Zimbabwe into South Africa, smugglers ferry cigarettes, minerals and stolen livestock.
Chief Supt Ncube warned that illegal crossings also pose serious safety risks as overloaded boats often capsize.
In some instances, people lose their lives when boats capsize due to overloading or human error, while others fall victim to criminals operating along the river
Chief Supt Ncube urged travellers to use formal and designated ports of entry. He stressed that police are continuously adapting to new criminal tactics to restore order along the border.
South African authorities have also intensified operations during the festive season, intercepting contraband goods and undocumented migrants attempting to cross the Limpopo River illegally.
Since November 2024, the Zimbabwean Government has scored major milestones in its ongoing nationwide anti-smuggling blitz, which has reshaped the country’s domestic retail landscape, with industry players reporting that 80 percent of basic commodities in most retail outlets, including the informal trading sector, which traditionally provided the primary market for smuggled items, are now being produced locally.
The shift highlights the campaign’s success in curbing illicit trade, effectively displacing untaxed imports and providing commercial space for domestic manufacturers to grow their market share. The campaign is in direct response to an outcry from local businesses and industries that have been complaining of unfair competition from cheap goods smuggled into the country.
Authorities have said these illicit imports often circumvent taxes and regulatory fees, and were being sold at prices that severely undercut compliant local products, posing an existential threat to domestic enterprises. Furthermore, the smuggled items posed a serious threat to public health and safety.
A considerable portion of these smuggled goods do not meet minimum local health and quality standards, while others are outright substandard, counterfeit, or expired. Economic analysts have said the anti-smuggling campaign has served a dual purpose — protecting the economy and safeguarding human lives by preventing the distribution of potentially harmful and unregulated products.
According to the recent report by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, smuggled goods worth millions of dollars were recovered during the first half of 2025. The coordinated crackdown by law enforcement agencies and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), primarily against smuggling of various goods, has seen authorities collecting over ZiG129,7 million and about US$614 85 from the sale or forfeiture of seized goods alone.
In addition to collections from seized items, duties on goods that were merely detained, pending payment, amounted to a further ZiG89,2 million and US$1,9million.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president, Dr Denford Mutashu, is on record saying retail shops across the country, including the previously import-dominated informal sector, are now largely stocked with locally produced basic commodities.
He noted that following the launch of the campaign, smugglers and illicit traders were observed “retreating and starting to procure locally,” leading to an “exponential rise in the uptake of domestic products.”
