Lovemore Kadzura
Poster Reporter
GOVERNMENT is contemplating deploying drones and helicopters among other raft of measures meant to tighten security along the porous Zimbabwe-Mozambique border to curb rampant smuggling of goods, which is depriving the State the much-needed revenue.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza revealed this after touring the border lying areas in Vumba and Burma Valley, which are synonymous with rampant smuggling, on Monday.
He was accompanied by members of the provincial Joint Operations Command (JOC).
Minister Mugadza said the deployment of high-tech surveillance systems is being mooted at a time when preparations to upgrade and mordenise Forbes Border Post to handle increased traffic are at an advanced stage.
“We have seen it necessary to tour our border line, stretching from Nyanga to Chipinge. We share the border with Mozambique, a country which has the sea line, while we are landlocked, and Government is keen to see the Gross Domestic Product of Manicaland rising by enforcing border control and prevent the smuggling of good in and out of the country.
“Issues of trade cannot be divorced from border posts, and we have Forbes Border Post which is being revamped following the developments at Beitbridge Border Post. The company which upgraded Beitbridge Border Post has also been chosen to carry out the upgrading and modernisation of Forbes, and they are now at the procurement stage,” he said.
Minister Mugadza said there is need for the deployment of high-tech surveillance systems to augment physical patrols by security forces, given the mountainous nature of the border line.
“Our security personnel are on the ground, and we are emphasising to them the need to tighten the screws to thwart illegal activities such as smuggling, which pose a threat to President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030. Vision 2030 cannot be achieved if we have loopholes that cause unnecessary loss of revenue.
“We are looking at the geographical terrain of our border with the hope to deploy drones and helicopters to monitor all porous points. The ongoing human efforts must be supported by technology,” he said, adding that additional border posts we soon be established in Honde Valley and Cashel Valley to relieve pressure on Forbes Border Post.
“While we appreciate the role of Forbes Border Post, we are also not happy with the state of the rest of border posts in the province. We want to upgrade all entry points into proper border posts,” he said.
