President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been urged to deal with “corrupt” Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officials stationed at the Beitbridge Border Post.
This was after the motorist had experienced delays at the border which he said were meant to frustrate travellers thereby forcing them to resort to paying bribes to fast-track the clearance process. The motorist whose Twitter username is Brian Vahombe narrated his ordeal:
On Thursday, the 1st of September 2022, I drove to Zimbabwe from SA via Beitbridge. President Mnangagwa has Built a World Class Infrastructure, but ZIMRA TIP (Temporary Import Permits) guys are Seriously De-campaigning the President’s hard work
Other Departments such as Immigration, ZimBoarders, VID, etc are working perfectly, but ZIMRA
is doing a De-service to the 2nd Republic. Out of more than 5 ZIMRA Counters for TIP, only 1 counter had an attendantDespite the fact that TIP process is now done online, the ZIMRA attendant could only assist 3 to 4 people in an hour & there were several ZIMRA guys that were sitting behind the counters doing absolutely nothing.It boggled my mind: What is the reason to have more than 5 Counters for ZIMRA TIP when there is only 1 attendant? What is the reason to have an online ZIMRA TIP system, if an attendant can only assist 3 to 4 people in an hour?From my own observation, I realized that it is a trick which is used by ZIMRA to frustrate people, so that people can end up paying bribes to expedite the process. I advise President Mnangagwa to deal with the ZIMRA TIP issue as a matter of urgencyPresident Mnangagwa’s mantra & government policy, “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” is seriously under siege & it is being sabotaged by ZIMRA TIP guys. I saw Tourists & other drivers Furious & Frustrated by the ZIMRA TIP service. It’s a MESS.
Zimra apologised to the motorist saying:
Good day @BrianVahombe1 we apologise for the service you got, as ZIMRA we strive to improve our service at every level and we value your feedback, we have since escalated the issue and we will soon see an improvement.
The motorist responded:
Thank you very much for your response, I really appreciate it. However, to improve the ZIMRA TIP services & avoid corruption at the Beitbridge border, I suggest the following:1. The TIP system must be FULLY Automated & human intervention MUST Only come in when collecting cash. People MUST only queue when they are paying for their TIP & collecting their TIP printout & not queuing for the process which they have done ONLINE. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. The queuing numbering system must be generated automatically when the driver puts his/her details online.2. ZIMRA Beitbridge MUST FIRE the security company that is controlling the queue. This is because the security is the one that is Fuelling Corruption by taking bribes from the Touts that are Mushrooming outside the Beitbridge Boarder offices.3. The security company that is controlling the queue at ZIMRA TIP section must be replaced by an Automatic numbering system like the one used in BANKS & people will be called & served according to their numbers. The queuing number must be generated together with the ref number.4. Beitbridge ZIMRA Counters at the TIP section MUST have attendants or attendees at all times. This will show seriousness on ZIMRA’s path & it will also show that ZIMRA you are ready to serve people with the efficiency that is expected of you.5. President Mnangagwa built a World Class Infrastructure for departments such as ZIMRA to provide a World Class service to the public.
The motorist also urged the ZIMRA Beitbridge TIP section to “Stop Corruption and Stop Frustrating Travellers,” saying that corruption was a De-service to the 2nd Republic.
ZIMRA issues a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) to a visitor to Zimbabwe bringing in a foreign registered private vehicle upon entry into Zimbabwe.