The ManicaPost
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE National Army officers deployed along the country’s borders and working in cahoots with smuggling cartels are not immune to stern disciplinary measures, 3 Infantry Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General George Chitsva has said.
Smuggling cartels in Mutare illegally bringing in fuel and bales of second hand clothes through the porous Zimbabwe-Mozambique border are reportedly working with some unscrupulous security details.
Even though security agents, including police and military officers, manning the border have made several arrests, smuggling remains rife with marked company trucks as well as private vehicles being used to ferry the goods from various pick-up points along the border to different destinations across the country.
In an interview on the sidelines of the handover of two classroom blocks at Charleswood Primary in Chimanimani last week on Thursday, Brigadier-General Chitsva warned security personnel deployed along the country’s borders and neglecting their mandate by working in cahoots with smuggling cartels that they are not immune to stern disciplinary measures.
Brigadier-General Chitsva said they are aware that there are some bad apples within the security sector who are bent on sabotaging efforts to curb smuggling while lining up their pockets.
“We are doing all that we can to ensure that we curb smuggling of bales of second hand clothes and fuel into the country. This is something that has been going on for a long time and we are now geared to put an end to this rot.
“We are aware that while we have this vision to end this vice, we have bad apples among us who are bent on sabotaging efforts to curb smuggling while lining up their pockets.
“We want to warn everyone including our officers that no one is above the law. Our officers who are caught on the wrong side of the law will face the full wrath of the law,” said Brigadier-General Chitsva.
The 3 Infantry Brigade Commander said current efforts being undertaken to curb smuggling have yielded positive results.
