About 90% of clothes being sold in Zimbabwe are smuggled second-hand clothes.
This was said by Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Mike Kamungeremu during an interview with Business Times.
The government banned the importation of second-hand clothes but they are being sold across the country, even in some remote areas an indication that corruption is rampant at the country’s porous borders.
Kamungeremu said support should be given to the textile industry and duty should be increased on clothes imported for resale in order to support the recovery of the local industry. He said:
There is policy inconsistency with regard to the sale of second-hand clothes (mabhero) – it is illegal to import second-hand clothing (bales) but legally permissible to sell them.
The City Councils levy businesses selling second-hand clothing and surely the local textile industry cannot be resuscitated this way.
About 90% of clothes being sold are smuggled second-hand clothes.