The government has started checking homes to find hidden illegal goods. They want to stop people from bringing these items into the country during Christmas time.
Anyone caught keeping smuggled stuff will go to jail with no way to pay and get out. The country loses about one billion US dollars each year because people sneak things across the borders.
Many people from Zimbabwe come home during Christmas and New Year. They often bring things from South Africa and nearby countries without telling anyone.
Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti told news people that teams will watch the borders and roads. He leads the President's office and wants to catch people who bring in illegal goods. These teams will also look inside stores and shops to find hidden items.
The teams will check big stores, food shops, and places that sell machines. They look for hidden food, clothes, medicine, drinks, building stuff, cars, and power items like solar panels.
Mr. Muguti said they want to help local businesses grow. He thinks cheap, fake products hurt people's health and local shops.
He sent a strong message to people living in other countries who come home for holidays. He said prices go up when they return because they bring things without paying taxes. If anyone tries to sneak in drinks or other items, they will end up in jail instead of paying a fine.
The government made a special team last month to catch smugglers. Many offices work together on this team, like tax collectors, police, the bank, and people who protect shoppers.
Mr. Muguti told government workers not to take bribes. They put up cameras at road stops and watch how things move around.
The police have caught more than 15,000 people for smuggling since the year started. They also want to stop shops from using wrong money rates or selling fake things. They put police stops on big roads that lead to cities, and these stops work all day and night.
Anyone caught keeping smuggled stuff will go to jail with no way to pay and get out. The country loses about one billion US dollars each year because people sneak things across the borders.
Many people from Zimbabwe come home during Christmas and New Year. They often bring things from South Africa and nearby countries without telling anyone.
Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti told news people that teams will watch the borders and roads. He leads the President's office and wants to catch people who bring in illegal goods. These teams will also look inside stores and shops to find hidden items.
The teams will check big stores, food shops, and places that sell machines. They look for hidden food, clothes, medicine, drinks, building stuff, cars, and power items like solar panels.
Mr. Muguti said they want to help local businesses grow. He thinks cheap, fake products hurt people's health and local shops.
He sent a strong message to people living in other countries who come home for holidays. He said prices go up when they return because they bring things without paying taxes. If anyone tries to sneak in drinks or other items, they will end up in jail instead of paying a fine.
The government made a special team last month to catch smugglers. Many offices work together on this team, like tax collectors, police, the bank, and people who protect shoppers.
Mr. Muguti told government workers not to take bribes. They put up cameras at road stops and watch how things move around.
The police have caught more than 15,000 people for smuggling since the year started. They also want to stop shops from using wrong money rates or selling fake things. They put police stops on big roads that lead to cities, and these stops work all day and night.
