Numbers Don’t Lie-Car Imports In Zim, Corruption, Contradiction & Missing Millions

By Shingirai Vambe

ZIMBABWE- The importation of vehicles into Zimbabwe has become a lightning rod for corruption allegations, with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) at the center of a storm. From undervaluing vehicles to squeeze out bribes, to overvaluing imports in order to punish non-compliant citizens, accusations against ZIMRA officers continue to surface, painting a grim picture of an institution tasked with collecting revenue for the nation.

The rot within the system is not new. Over the years, ZIMRA has paraded some of its officers before the courts, with several losing ill-gotten properties through forfeiture to the state. Yet, despite such public purges, smuggling and corruption remain rampant, suggesting that the problem is not just with rogue individuals, but embedded in a web that runs much deeper.

Statistics released by ZIMRA and the Ministry of Transport show glaring discrepancies that raise more questions than answers.

According to ZIMRA, 133,740 vehicles were imported in 2024, spanning private cars, commercial trucks, tractors, trailers, and motorbikes. Out of this figure, 103,150 were passenger-carrying vehicles. For the first half of 2025, ZIMRA claims 66,750 vehicles have already been imported, with 51,675 classified as passenger cars.

However, the Ministry of Transport’s Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) paints a different picture. The ministry says that between January and December 2024, only 99,561 vehicles were registered and issued with number plates, while from January to June 2025, 52,870 vehicles were officially registered.

The variance between the two sets of figures is significant, hinting at possible manipulation in how many cars actually enter the country legally, how many are smuggled in, and how many duties are collected, or siphoned away.

Confronted with questions by The Post on Sunday, ZIMRA denied there is an internal fight among its officers and rejected claims that its crack enforcement teams are fueling corruption. Instead, the authority insisted that its practices are in line with international standards.

“ZIMRA conducts post-clearance checks by mounting inland roadblocks to verify clearances done at border posts and to curb smuggling through undesignated points. The objective is to ensure correct duty is paid in cases of under-declarations. Post-clearance audits are internationally accepted tools of trade facilitation,” the authority said.

It further argued that enforcement teams do not need to operate near borders alone since imports also come by rail, air, and postal services. “It should not be an issue that the enforcement teams are operating far from border posts,” ZIMRA stressed.

On corruption concerns, ZIMRA defended its officers, “We uphold a strict zero-tolerance policy. All officers undergo integrity training, guided by a Code of Conduct. Any violation attracts disciplinary action. Multiple mechanisms for reporting and monitoring are in place, including collaboration with ZRP and ZACC, as well as lifestyle audits for our officials.”

While ZIMRA defends its operations as a necessary fight against smuggling, many Zimbabweans see the inland roadblocks and post-clearance checks as an elaborate shakedown scheme. Car importers often complain of harassment, double taxation, and arbitrary penalties, sometimes paying duties far beyond the true value of their vehicles.

One motorist who recently imported a small sedan told this publication that he ended up paying “extra facilitation fees” through his agent, just to clear his car without delays. “The official duty was already high, but the officers wanted more,” he said.

Others accuse ZIMRA of deliberately undervaluing some vehicles to create room for bribes, while overvaluing others to punish those who resist corrupt demands. The result is a system that appears inconsistent, predatory, and designed to enrich individuals rather than build the national fiscus.

This crisis is not isolated. Critics argue that vehicle import corruption mirrors broader governance failures in Zimbabwe, particularly in procurement and tendering. Tenderpreneurs, politically connected individuals who thrive on inflated contracts and kickbacks, are said to have penetrated revenue collection as well, ensuring that systems remain porous for personal gain.

For ordinary Zimbabweans, the cost is enormous. Not only do they face high import duties and arbitrary fines, but billions are reportedly lost to corruption each year, depriving the state of resources that could fund critical services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

While ZIMRA points to technology like post-clearance audits and e-systems as part of its reforms, experts argue that technology alone cannot defeat corruption. Without independent oversight, accountability mechanisms, and genuine political will, such systems risk being hijacked by the very actors they are meant to expose.

The gap between the number of vehicles ZIMRA claims to process and those registered by the CVR highlights a disturbing lack of transparency, from both offices as citizens see more than 134000 vehicles in the high and by-ways of the country. The pressure at Chirundu and Beitbridge for car imports share an estimate high figure of vehicles imported into the country, with some agents spending days to be cleared at the border, it is the opinion of car importers, citizens and Agents that the offices are the ones that fuels public distrust and confirms suspicions of deep-rooted rot.