The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
VILLAGERS in some parts of Bulilima and Mangwe districts are cashing in on the activities of smugglers who have been transporting their goods in and out of the country.
Community members from the villages that border Botswana provide the smugglers with space to store their goods or manpower to carry the goods across the border illegally at a fee.
They reportedly charge a minimum of R100 or P100 depending on the goods being smuggled.
The village head for Vaka area in Mangwe District, Mr Moses Ndlovu, said such activities were rampant in his area.
He said a number of smugglers passed through his village in the middle of the night in order to gain access to the neighbouring country.
Mr Ndlovu said most of these criminals fulfilled their missions with the assistance of villagers.
“It is alarming to note that a number of villagers are earning a living from assisting smugglers. A number of young men offer their services to the smugglers. They assist them by carrying their loads to illegal entry points and some go further to carry the loads into the neighbouring country.
“Some of the elderly people offer the smugglers shelter in their homesteads. In cases where police are patrolling the border they offer smugglers a place to sleep and store their goods until the commotion dies out,” he said.
He said attempts had been made to raise awareness with the villagers about the implications of their actions but with no luck.
Mr Ndlovu said the success of the smugglers lay in the hands of the villagers who could either protect them from being caught or sell them out when deals turned out sour.
The headman of Nswazi area in Bulilima, where the smuggling activities are also rampant, said the smugglers transported cigarettes and mbanje into the neighbouring country.
Headman Jetcheni said upon their return they mainly smuggled clothing and electric gadgets.
“It appears that these people who smuggle have their regular aides from the village and they are constantly in communication. They know the particular bus stops where they disembark and when they return their aides will be waiting for them.
“It appears that villagers get decent money for this as some charge P100. This is all done at night and maybe there is a need for patrols to be strengthened at night because there a lot of loopholes which these smugglers capitalise on,” he said.
Chief Tshitshi said the villagers were hardly arrested for their role in the smuggling process. He said penalising villagers would serve as a lesson for all community members involved in the criminal activity.
He said police had to conduct secret patrols in order to catch the culprits.
A police source said in Mangwe District smugglers gained access to the neighbouring country through Nxele, Madabe, Ngwanyana and Tshitshi areas. In Bulilima smugglers are assisted by villagers from Dombolefu, Nswazi and Bambadzi areas.
Police recently recovered 630 kilogrammes of dagga valued at $630 000 which was being smuggled to Botswana by four unidentified men.
The squad, suspected to have been working with villagers, was attempting to use an illegal crossing point in Madabe area in Mangwe District to transport their contraband.
They were intercepted around 1am while in possession of dagga that was packed in 50kg bags after police received a tip-off from members of the public.
