BEITBRIDGE – A botched attempt to export 25 tonnes of chrome ore concentrate has implicated the Zimbabwe Defence Industries in a fraud scandal, after two transport operators appeared in court for allegedly using fake documents and misrepresenting their partnership with the state-owned entity.
Precious Ncube (49) and Methsary Muchirahondo (35), two transport operators, appeared before the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court on fraud charges related to a botched export deal.
According to a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority, the accused persons allegedly obtained fake export documents, including a Bill of Entry Form and a Commercial Invoice, purporting to be in a joint venture with Zimbabwe Defence Industries and Rusununguko Nkululeko Holdings. They then presented these documents at the Beitbridge Border Post, attempting to export 25 tonnes of chrome ore concentrate.
Investigations, however, revealed that the accused persons were not authorised to act on behalf of the mentioned companies and had misrepresented the contents of the consignment. The export permit they presented had also expired.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to September 4, 2024. The court also ordered the recovery of the documents, truck, and consignment.
Zimbabwe is losing revenue through smuggling at the country’s porous borders. The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce in 2020 revealed that the country was losing up to US$1 billion in revenue from smuggling along its porous borders.
In April, this year, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) said it was stepping up efforts to combat mineral smuggling by enhancing its monitoring and surveillance systems.
MMCZ acting general manager Nomsa Moyo acknowledged that mineral revenue losses due to smuggling remain a significant challenge.
To address this, MMCZ plans to incorporate new technologies like drones for monitoring and surveillance and capacitate the Zimbabwe School of Mines metallurgy laboratory to reduce reliance on private laboratories.
The agency is also revamping existing rail weighbridges and introducing new road weighbridges to enhance monitoring of mineral resource movement.
“We are working on enhancing our monitoring systems,” she said.
“This includes introducing drones for effective surveillance, as well as revamping existing rail weighbridges and introducing new road weighbridges.”
I didn't see the part where ZDI was implicated