Over 50 Schoolchildren Stranded After Anti-Smuggling Unit Seizes Bus

More than 50 schoolchildren were stranded in Beitbridge after an anti-smuggling task force wrongly seized a bus hired to transport them to school, sparking outrage from parents (image source)

More than 50 schoolchildren were left stranded in Beitbridge on Monday after an anti-smuggling task force commandeered a bus transporting them to school in Chivi, Masvingo province, on suspicion of smuggling.

The bus, owned by a Beitbridge-based transporter, had been hired by parents to ferry 55 pupils to Chibi High School. It was carrying the pupils, all dressed in school uniform, accompanied by a parent and three crew members.

According to the crew, the bus departed Beitbridge at around 6am but was stopped an hour later at Bubi, approximately 100 kilometres north of Beitbridge. The vehicle had already passed through another roadblock about a kilometre earlier. Apart from the children’s luggage, the Vicky Logistics bus was not carrying any other goods, except for a spare wheel.

A crew member said the anti-smuggling task force team leader, identified as Honest Bote, inspected the luggage compartment and alleged that the bus was carrying undeclared goods. “We told him it was children’s tuck. There were no adults on board apart from the parent escorting the pupils,” the crew member said.

Bote reportedly boarded the bus and saw the pupils, some of whom were travelling to boarding school for the first time. Despite this, he allegedly ordered the bus to return to Beitbridge.

“He said he did not mind and instructed us to go back to Beitbridge, which we did. We then opted to go to the police station so that the bus could be searched in the presence of police,” the crew member said.

Bote later defended his actions, telling NewsDay Live that the reporter should visit the scene for clarification. “For you to know why we stopped it, come to the ground. Come over and I will explain to you,” he said.

(image source)

Beitbridge police superintendent Philisani Ndebele later communicated with parents, saying Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials would issue a letter confirming that the bus had not originated from the border. “We are sorry about the inconvenience caused in the line of duty,” Ndebele said.

It later emerged that Bote had instructed police to release the bus without conducting a search after realising the error. As a result of the incident, the bus travelled an additional 200 kilometres, incurring unbudgeted fuel costs and double toll fees.

Parents, some of whom braved heavy rains to comfort their distressed children, expressed outrage over the incident. “Are these the people tasked with advising the leadership who make such poor decisions? How does an officer fail to tell the difference between schoolchildren and adults? What message has he sent to the children?” said one parent.

Another parent described the officers’ conduct as shocking. “How does someone accuse schoolchildren of smuggling? Does this person have children? Does he realise the damage done to the image of the President? He must be fired. This is irresponsible,” the parent said.

The anti-smuggling task force was introduced in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, when international travel was restricted. At the time, Beitbridge residents began smuggling beer and cigarettes into South Africa, where the sale of such products had been temporarily banned.