Hwange East legislator, Joseph Bonda, has called on the government to reduce the number of staff stationed at the Beitbridge border post, identifying overstaffing as a root cause of rampant corruption.
Speaking in Parliament, Bonda questioned the necessity of having six or seven ministries represented at the border, a situation he claims leads to inefficiency and makes accountability impossible.
He argued that streamlining personnel would make it easier to identify and manage corrupt practices.
Bonda said his proposal aimed to tackle the administrative corruption that enables such smuggling to thrive.
“I would like to ask the minister if there are any plans in place to reduce the number of staff at the border, as this is where the root cause of corruption is often found,” he asked.
“There are like six or seven ministries that will be lined up stamping that document.”
In response, Transport and Infrastructure Development minister, Felix Mhona, said the government was reviewing border control processes to identify and eliminate unnecessary steps and associated costs.
“I am sure when we come to the mnister of Home Affairs, we are also going to interrogate the process flow and the costs attributed to that particular ministry," Mhona said.
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“This is the essence of the exercise, so that we reduce other processes that are not necessary.”
This call comes amid heightened concerns over border security.
Police recently intercepted a haulage truck on the Beitbridge-Masvingo road, arresting the driver for possessing a large consignment of illegal cough syrups.
On the same day, another woman was arrested on the same route for a similar offence.
The incidents highlighted the porous nature of Zimbabwe’s borders.
