Inside the Musina-Zimbabwe smuggling network

‘Zimbabweans
on
the
other
side
of
the
river
receive
smuggled
goods
[that
are]
transported
by
donkey
carts
and
vehicles
to
various
villages
in
Zimbabwe,”
Malindi
Kwinda
told
Daily
Maverick
as
he
sat
at
the
Ha
Tshirundu
settlement
on
the
South
African
side
of
the
border
with
Zimbabwe.

“We
don’t
mind
at
all
because
here,
at
this
crossing
of
Tshirundu,
it
is
mostly
groceries
and
other
basics
such
as
bathing
soap,
washing
soap,
cooking
oil,
rice
and
clothes
that
are
crossing
over.”

Kwinda,
the
local
headman
of
the
small
South
African
settlement,
which
lies
less
than
a
kilometre
from
the
Limpopo
River
that
separates
the
two
countries,
said
now
that
the
river
was
seasonally
dry,
illegal
crossings
and
smuggling
had
increased,
something
that
will
surge
as
we
move
into
the
festive
season.

While
there
are
several
other
illegal
crossing
points
along
the
Zimbabwe-SA
border,
starting
from
Maroi
to
the
Gumbu
area,
and
“Gate
One
and
Two”,
the
crossing
near
Ha
Tshirundu
is
one
of
the
hotspots
on
the
South
African
National
Defence
Force’s
(SANDF’s)
radar.

After
a
visit
to
the
Musina
border
with
the
SANDF,
Daily
Maverick
previously
reported
on
the
challenges
the
SANDF
faced
when
patrolling
the
porous
boundary.
One
such
challenge
is
villages
like
Ha
Tshirundu,
which
was
established
informally
and
serves
as
a
haven
for
smugglers
and
undocumented
migrants
seeking
to
cross
into
South
Africa.

Kwinda
detailed
how
the
village
served
as
a
stop
for
migrants,
who
often
sleep
at
Ha
Tshirundu
when
they
make
their
journey
into
South
Africa,
and
criminal
smugglers
known
as
goma
gomas,
who
rest
at
the
settlement
while
the
goods
they
are
smuggling,
mostly
groceries
and
essential
items,
are
offloaded
and
transported
into
Zimbabwe.

The
goods
are
mainly
transported
by
vehicle
from
nearby
Musina
to
the
riverside
crossing
and
from
there
they
are
moved
across
the
river
either
by
foot
or
using
donkey
carts.

As
this
unfolds,
Zimbabwean
vendors
sell
fruit
and
other
refreshments
along
the
river
banks.
One
of
these
women
is
Mary
Moyo.

“We
target
smugglers
and
foreigners
who
use
the
spot
to
cross.
We
sell
refreshments
to
them.
It
is
very
hot
as
you
can
feel.
The
heat
is
high
at
42℃
today
and
they
need
refreshments
to
keep
going.
Even
soldiers
do
support
us,
buying
this
and
that,”
Moyo
said.

Zim
hyperinflation
spurs
smuggling

While
the
smuggling
of
groceries
into
Zimbabwe
breaks
several
laws,
for
many
Zimbabwean
citizens
it
is
a
means
for
survival
in
a
nation
contending
with
an
economic
downturn
and
hyperinflation
which
has
made
buying
essential
goods
extremely
expensive.

This
is
evidenced
by
the
number
of
crossings
at
the
Beitbridge
Port
of
Entry,
a
hub
of
movement
as
Zimbabwean
nationals
cross
in
and
out
of
the
country
carrying
goods
purchased
in
South
Africa.
A
Zimbabwean
woman
named
Milicent
spoke
to
Daily
Maverick
as
we
visited
the
border
post.
Perched
securely
on
her
head
was
a
bag
containing
maize
meal
and
other
groceries
she
had
just
bought
from
Musina.

“I
come
to
South
Africa
once
a
month
to
buy
food
and
other
things
this
side.
It
is
so
much
cheaper.
Back
home
it’s
either
we
don’t
have
stock
or
it
is
very
expensive.
It
would
be
easier
to
buy
in
Zimbabwe,
but
we
have
no
choice.
It
takes
me
eight
hours
to
get
from
my
home
to
get
here
and
after
we
have
bought
our
things
we
have
to
sleep
here
at
the
border
because
there
is
no
accommodation,”
she
said.

While
Milicent
crossed
into
South
Africa
legally
to
buy
her
goods,
for
many
people
it
is
too
expensive
to
do
so.
Responding
to
questions
from
Daily
Maverick,
the
SANDF
said
smuggling
illegal
products
and
consumables,
such
as
alcohol,
cigarettes
and
other
items
was
a
way
to
avoid
custom
duties.

A
smuggler
near
Ha
Tshirundu
who
chose
to
remain
anonymous
said
they
smuggled
goods
because
of
hunger
and
a
lack
of
jobs
both
in
South
Africa
and
Zimbabwe.

“We
are
not
killing
and
robbing
anyone.
From
Musina
to
the
river,
people
are
charged
according
to
the
size
of
the
goods
he
or
she
is
transporting.
Of
course,
in
the
process,
there
are
some
criminals
called
Magoma-goma
who
rob
people
[in]
the
bush,”
he
said.

The
goma
gomas
represent
a
more
nefarious
side
of
the
smuggling
network
between
Zimbabwe
and
South
Africa.
They
are
hardened
criminals
who
often
smuggle
cigarettes,
vehicles
and
even
people
between
the
two
countries.

SANDF
battalion
commander
Lieutenant
Colonel
Mzoxolo
Ketsekile,
the
leader
of Operation
Corona,
highlighted
the
threat
that
goma
gomas
posed.

“[Goma
gomas]
take
undocumented
people
across
the
borderline,
once
they
have
crossed
they
will
rob
or
even
rape
women
knowing
that
these
are
undocumented
persons
will
not
report
the
crime
to
the
South
African
Police
Service
(SAPS)
as
they
will
be
deported
back
to
their
country,”
said
Ketsekile.

He
said
goma
gomas
also
smuggled
copper,
ivory,
explosives
and
drugs.
The
explosives
are
allegedly
used
in
ATM
bombings
and
illegal
mining
activities.

SANDF
ramps
up
patrols

Ha
Tshirundu
headman
Kwinda
said
the
mushrooming
of
illegal
crossing
points
along
the
border
was
mainly
due
to
the
lack
of
a
fence.

“We
work
very
well
with
the
police
and
soldiers
deployed
here.
They
are
working
very
hard,
but
there
is
little
they
can
do
and
the
fence
is
either
not
there
or
riddled
with
holes,”
said
Kwinda.

While
the
SANDF
faces
various
challenges
with
securing
the
vast
northern
border,
it
plans
to
ramp
up
patrols
throughout
the
festive
season.

There
are
several
roadblocks
on
the
small
border
road.
Here,
drivers
are
interrogated
about
their
destinations
and
searched
for
smuggled
items.

The
SANDF
is
also
using
drone
technology
to
collect
data
in
the
bush
and
along
the
river,
documenting
the
movement
of
vehicles
and
people.

Since
Operation
Corona
began
on
1
September,
154
people
have
been
arrested
attempting
to
cross
into
South
Africa
illegally.
Additionally,
illicit
goods
such
as
cigarettes,
marijuana,
vehicles
and
drugs
worth
just
over
R33-million
have
been
seized.

A
farmer
who
asked
to
remain
anonymous
for
fear
of
victimisation
complimented
the
soldiers
working
on
the
border.

“The
soldiers
are
working
hard
trying
to
stop
the
illegal
movement
of
undocumented
foreigners.
The
challenge
is
the
lack
of
a
proper
fence.
In
2020
the
government
erected
a
40km
low-quality
fence
which
cost
taxpayers
almost
R40-million.
The
fence
has
been
damaged
and
even
stolen
in
some
instances,”
said
the
farmer. DM