At a time when Zimbabwe cannot afford basics like clean water, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, who is on a countrywide tour of facilities falling under his ministry, yesterday told the state media the borders will be adequately patrolled using drones.

Zimbabwe has borders with South Africa (255km), Botswana (813km), Mozambique (1 231km) and Zambia (767km) adding up to a stretch of 3 066km.

He said although the problem of smuggling is common at many of Zimbabwe’s ports of entry, the vice was more widespread and entrenched at Beitbridge, the country and region’s busiest inland port of entry that connects the continent’s north and south trade corridors with Africa’s largest economy, South Africa.

“We have increased deployment of security personnel along our borders, especially in Beitbridge where smuggling and border jumping are rampant. We are aware the border stretch is quite long and therefore, it is impossible to have adequate manpower at each and every point,” he said.

“We have beefed up security personnel, but over and above that, we are also in the process of deploying new technologies and so far Treasury has bought drones to be used to patrol those areas and we have also requested from the Treasury for them to buy us vehicles that will be deployed there.”

Minister Kazembe also warned members of the public who harbour border jumpers and quarantine centre escapees, saying they risk being arrested and prosecuted.

“In view of the pandemic, as Zimbabweans we need to work with police and immigration Those who harbour relatives who would have jumped the border risk being prosecuted. People coming from outside through border jumping should be reported immediately as they fuel the pandemic,” he said.

“There is need to protect each other from the spread of coronavirus.”