Zimbabwe July 2006 |
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| Border Touts resurface with new tricks, (Chronicle, 2006-07-20):-Touts, who were flushed out of the Beitbridge border post three months ago, have come up with new tricks to find their way back to the port of entry, Chronicle has established. Three months ago, the Government launched a campaign to decongest the border post by removing third party insurance agents, illegal foreign currency dealers and touts commonly known as “omagumaguma’’ as they had “no business ’’ being at the border post. The campaign, spearheaded by the Taskforce on Image, Tourism and Communications under the National Economic Recovery Council, which is at the forefront of the implementation of the National Economic Development Priority Programme, was part of Government’s programme to redevelop Beitbridge into a “World class city’’. However, Chronicle established this week that some touts were sneaking back into the border post. In an interview on Tuesday, the principal immigration officer in Beitbridge, Mr Dennis Chitsaka admitted that some touts continued to find their way into the border post. Some of the touts use fake customs clearing agents’ identity cards to gain access. The latest development, however, comes barely three months after the Government had called on for the tightening of screws at the border post. A tout, who spoke to Chronicle on Tuesday at the border post, said he used a fake identity card, which he acquired from a customs clearing agent; to enter the border post. “I just produced an old identity card belonging to a friend, who used to work at a local shipping company, to gain entry into the border post. “They (police) did not even bother to check the validity of the card and allowed me to enter”, said the tout, who declined to be named. Another tout, who only identified himself as Brother George, said he lied to the police officers manning the entrance gate, to gain entry into the customs yard. “I told the officers that I wanted to collect a border pass at the immigration offices, so that I could travel to Musina for medication. They just checked my national identity card without saying anything and I went through”, he said. The touts masquerade as ZIMRA and immigration officers and con innocent travellers of their money. They swindle travellers of their foreign currency by offering to complete customs documents on behalf of their “clients”. Some of the touts also use some open space where construction works at the border are in progress, to enter the customs yard. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |