ZIMRA Under Fire: Zimbabweans Fume Over ‘Extortionate’ Car Duty Valuations, Say “Receipts Mean Nothing”
A promotional campaign by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) meant to encourage voluntary compliance has backfired dramatically, with citizens expressing outrage over what they say are “extortionate” and arbitrary vehicle valuations. The campaign, launched on 29 June 2025, was met with fierce backlash on social media, as Zimbabweans accused ZIMRA of operating more like “a criminal enterprise” than a public institution.
ZIMRA’s post on X read:
“ZIMRA watching your car cruise by……yet you know you undervalued, evaded surtax, duty and some, no papers at all.
Regularize before 31 July 2025. No penalties. Just pay what’s due.
#MyTaxWorks #VoluntaryCompliance”
The tweet went viral, amassing over 54,000 views within hours. However, instead of encouraging compliance, it prompted an avalanche of accusations — from corruption and bullying to price rigging and double standards.
“Graduates behaving like touts”
Prominent X user Gift Murapa delivered a scathing critique of ZIMRA’s methods, describing its officers as behaving like street hustlers.
“Monya flexing his muscles and beating everyone in his way. You guys are bullies. Instead of being the organisation to collect revenue, you have switched up to criminal behaviour,” he wrote.
He went further to question the professionalism of ZIMRA officers, stating:
“There is a certain level of unnecessary wrangling over prices that ultimately becomes petty. You are not a weapon but an organisation to protect the integrity of Zimbabwe.
I don’t even understand how graduates are bundled together to behave like touts at Fourth Street rank. Or is it the proximity of your biggest office in the land to that place and you actively go for training with vana hwindi [street hustlers]? You guys appear ready enough to cut someone open just to verify how many sweets they ate.”
“Receipts mean nothing”
Many users questioned why receipts, bank statements, and authentic purchase documentation are disregarded by ZIMRA officers when assessing import duty.
A user posting under the name Ba’Zuva shared a frustrating experience:
“In 2008 I bought a car for USD 1,800 (approx. R33,000) with all banking paperwork to prove it, and yet your border officers decided to claim that my car was worth 1.5 times that much based on their feelings — otherwise known as an ‘estimate’.
What’s the role of receipts and banking statements if you won’t follow them? Is this a one-sided relationship? Why do you complain about under-valuation if you overvalue your taxation? Are these not two sides of the same ‘FRAUD’ coin?”
Another user, Citizen Dhehwa, echoed similar sentiments:
“Nxa, be serious for once. You make people pay ridiculous amounts of duty and even with receipts you still re-evaluate and come up with extortionate amounts of money.”
“Where is the consistency?”
Critics also took aim at ZIMRA’s opaque and inconsistent duty assessment methods. Many highlighted that duty calculations vary widely and appear to be based on fluctuating and unverifiable “downloads”.
User @TheSuccessorOG posted:
“Please fix inconsistencies on charging duty. You can’t be working with downloads — that’s a scam. Duty should be uniform — either charged by the year of the car or engine capacity.”
Luckson Mufudza added:
“Basically, the whole evaluation system is rowdy. Why can’t there be a system which is clear and straightforward so that one will know the exact amount to be paid before the car gets to the border?
This hide-and-seek kind of charging promotes corruption as well. BE FAIR.”
Another user, Magumbo, did not hold back:
“A rowdy organisation that steals from clients daily by not setting a table for vehicle duties… doing downloads as if you’re the sellers… more bad news is some models may be sold out some days, resulting in a lot of corruption at entry points.”
“Do elites and Chinese companies pay?”
The outrage also extended to perceived selective enforcement. Several users raised concerns that the burden of duty enforcement disproportionately affects the poor, while politically connected elites and foreign nationals get a free pass.
Augustus G asked pointedly:
“Does Chivayo pay duty for his Rolls-Royces as well? Are Go-see-Victor cars all duty paid?”
Another user, Ndaba Ndabezitha, posted:
“A criminal enterprise — ZIMRA. You survive by extorting money from poor people. Big conglomerates are not taxed. Chinese are not taxed.”
Mlungisi Dube questioned where the collected funds end up:
“Only for the money to be handed over to Wicknell? I know it’s not your duty to allocate the money, but I’m just thinking out loud.”
Shamie, another user, was direct:
“Haaa, ma amounts enyu acho ari ridiculous kani [Your amounts are simply ridiculous].”
“Even my kid’s toy bike pays duty!”
In what appears to be a growing list of absurd situations, one user shared how ZIMRA officers attempted to demand import duty for a child’s toy.
Sekuru VaTity wrote:
“Waiting to ask duty for my kid’s toys at the airport. Where the hell does a kid’s bike pay duty? I mean it can’t even barely exceed 5km/hr.”
This example, like many others, highlights growing public frustration over what is seen as an inflexible, unaccountable, and at times, absurdly punitive system.
“Make it cheaper and people will comply”
Despite the outcry, some users offered constructive feedback.
@monya4hire1 commented:
“You make it very difficult for car owners, especially the ones importing their vehicles. That’s the main reason many will cruise by without any papers at all.
Make it easy and cheap enough for people to rush to you to make things right, rather than run away from you.”
Others, like Mazilankatha, urged ZIMRA to listen:
“In between ukulithethisa [scolding], people are actually giving solid policy feedback. You should listen!”
ZIMRA silent amid growing backlash
As the backlash spreads, ZIMRA has yet to respond to the growing list of complaints. Dozens of users are now calling for an independent review of ZIMRA’s valuation processes, clearer duty pricing systems, and mechanisms for citizens to appeal or challenge duty charges.
Some users have gone as far as calling the organisation a “mafia”, while others now fear ZIMRA’s silence is an admission of wrongdoing.
Until ZIMRA publicly addresses these concerns, the distrust is likely to grow — and the campaign meant to encourage voluntary compliance may end up doing the opposite.
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The post ZIMRA Under Fire: Zimbabweans Fume Over ‘Extortionate’ Car Duty Valuations, Say “Receipts Mean Nothing” appeared first on iHarare News.
