By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested former Zimbabwe National War Veterans Association secretary-general, Andy Mhlanga, for smuggling T-shirts.
Mhlanga, a current member of the Zanu PF politburo, was arrested alongside nine others — including his son, Perfect Mhlanga — after investigators uncovered a plot to smuggle 17.6 tonnes of T-shirts into the country, disguised as duty-free agricultural imports.
According to court documents, the smuggling operation began in October 2024, when Jeed Investments (Pvt) Ltd — represented by Mhlanga’s associate, Jetro Mavangwa (currently in custody) — procured 1,066 cartons of T-shirts from Slovenia. The consignment arrived at the Port of Beira in Mozambique in February 2025.
In a calculated move to evade import duties, Mavangwa allegedly contracted Secure Freight and Shipping Company in Harare in March 2025 to falsify the bill of lading. The consignee details were changed to Rufaro Nenyasha, a private voluntary organisation (PVO), headed by Norest Marara — also now in custody.
Marara is accused of fabricating a fraudulent waybill that falsely declared the consignment as drip irrigation equipment — a category exempt from import duties — and falsely listed a Chinese company as the supplier.
The container arrived in Harare on March 23, and by April 23, falsified documents were uploaded into the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) system, allowing the shipment to pass without inspection.
The scam resulted in a US$78,880 revenue loss to the State.
The smuggled goods were later transported to Bramfield Farm in Nyabira, owned by Mhlanga. Police recovered several boxes of T-shirts during a follow-up raid at a property in Westgate, Harare, where they were allegedly being stored by Mhlanga’s son.
Mhlanga appeared before the Harare Magistrates Court on July 17, 2025, and was granted US$300 bail. The matter has been postponed to August 13 for trial.
Source: Zimeye
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