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The recent arrest of six officials at Beitbridge Border Post on allegations of accepting bribes demonstrates what technology can do to help the country curb corruption. The vice has become endemic in the country, draining the economy of hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue and giving the Government a bad name in the eyes of the ordinary Zimbabwean and foreigners, among them potential investors.

While corruption at ports of entry constitutes only a fraction of the crimes of impropriety that happen in the country, it is also a fact that those places need much attention from the government.

Last month, the government invested $600 000 upgrading the security system at Beitbridge Border Post, with cameras placed at secret places that even some border officials don’t know. So far, the incognito cameras have accounted for six Zimra, immigration and police officers deployed at the busy port of entry as they demanded and accepted bribes.

Two immigration officers, named as Tinashe Gotosa and Precious Ndomupei Dumbu were arrested last week after they were allegedly caught on camera receiving R300 each from travellers who had overstayed in the country. Days earlier, two Zimra officers had also been arrested moments after they were spotted by the cameras taking bribes. Two police officers were also caught under similar circumstances.

Notorious for underhand dealings that enrich a few unscrupulous elements, the border post is now, apart from the secret recorders, equipped with lie detector machines.

We take the investment as a signal that the Government is keen to walk its talk in fighting corruption at border posts. The fact that even some security officials at Beitbridge are not privy to the location of the cameras and possibly their range of effectiveness, is gratifying.

Now because of this new infrastructure in place, everyone at the border post knows that they are being watched and they do not know the location of the watcher. This includes travellers too, many of whom actually offer bribe money as well. With this investment, we expect smuggling, and bribe taking to be markedly reduced and revenue inflows into national coffers enhanced.

However, we recognise, as Zimra does, that Zimbabwe has more border posts than Beitbridge — there is Plumtree, Chirundu, Forbes, Kazungula, Nyamapanda and so on which also need to be secured. Of course, we appreciate that the reason why Beitbridge was chosen to pilot the new phase in fighting corruption is because it accounts for most of the vice. We expect the infrastructure to be put at other border posts as well as a matter of urgency.

Having said this, we also know that Zimra officials also demand and take bribes in towns and cities where they work, perhaps on a larger scale than Beitbridge and other checkpoints. Therefore, going forward, there is need to expand the new thrust to these places as well, setting up the secret recorders and lie detector machines and taking action based on the evidence they collect.

But as we report elsewhere in this issue, smuggling and border crime has moved from the official entry point and is reportedly intensifying at illicit points along the Limpopo River. We report that since the promulgation of Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 that restricts the importation of more than 40 items, racketeers working between Zimbabwe and South Africa have enhanced their activities away from the border post. They have simply redirected their traffic elsewhere much to the prejudice of Treasury.

This, indeed, has always been a challenge to the Government as Zimbabwe’s borders with its neighbours are porous.

Nevertheless, we demand greater policing of our national borders for enhanced national security and to curb smuggling. This would go a long way in contributing to economic recovery and growth. Those found on the wrong side of the law must receive their punishment.

But corruption does not only involve border officials. It happens in other government offices, in industry and commerce where the prejudice is likely to be greater. We reiterate that the fight against the vice must be escalated.