By Patience Gondo
Zimbabwe’s war on tax evasion and smuggling has entered a new phase powered by drones, digital surveillance and data-driven systems, as government announced sweeping fiscal reforms aimed at sealing revenue leakages and formalising the informal economy.
Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, David Mnangagwa, warned smugglers and tax evaders at the 2025 ZIMRA Taxpayer Appreciation Awards held at the Harare International Conference Centre on Thursday, declaring that every act of non-compliance steals from our children, our communities and our future.
He said the government was determined to dismantle illicit trade networks that continue to deprive the nation of resources critical for hospitals, schools and infrastructure.
Mnangagwa said compliance was no longer optional but a patriotic duty and a moral commitment to Zimbabwe’s future.
Mnangagwa also said about 70% of the economy remained informal and hidden, describing it as both a challenge and an opportunity for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to develop sector-specific strategies to bring more businesses into the formal tax net.
He said the government’s forthcoming National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) would be financed primarily through domestic resources generated by taxpayers.
The ZIMRA Board Chairperson, Anthony Mandiwanza, said the authority has rolled out an aggressive anti-smuggling programme that includes the use of drones and enhanced border management systems to intercept undeclared goods and unsafe products entering the country.
Mandiwanza said the move was part of a broader modernisation agenda designed to make tax administration more efficient, transparent and technology driven.
“ZIMRA has also implemented advanced systems such as the Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS), the Fiscalisation Data Management System, ASYCUDA World and the Zimbabwe Electronic Single Window, which allow for real-time tracking of transactions and automated verification of taxpayer compliance.” He said.
He said these innovations were deliberately crafted to make it easier to comply than to evade.
For the first time, winners of the Taxpayer Awards were selected entirely through a data-driven process, with minimal human involvement.
Mandiwanza said this shift ensures fairness and transparency in recognising businesses and individuals who consistently honour their obligations.
Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (Zimplats) was named the overall top taxpayer for its consistent revenue contributions since 2021, while Econet Wireless, PPC Zimbabwe and Delta Beverages were also recognised for excellence in compliance.
Youth entrepreneur Givemore Zulu and businesswoman Cinzia Bail received special awards for leading contributions in their categories.
Mandiwanza said ZIMRA’s revised annual revenue collection target of USD 7.57 billion reflected not only the magnitude of national expectations but also the need for a sustainable and diversified tax base.
The authority projects USD 9.2 billion in collections for 2026, aligned with Vision 2030’s drive toward an upper-middle-income economy.
Mnangagwa said the human cost of evasion, warning that tax corruption undermines service delivery and development.
“Every unissued receipt takes away a hospital bed, a school book or clean water for a village,” he said.
“These are not victimless crimes they rob every honest Zimbabwean.”
He called on citizens and businesses to issue fiscalised receipts, reject smuggling and fulfil their tax duties on time, saying every act of compliance was a declaration of faith in Zimbabwe’s future.
As the ceremony ended, Mnangagwa echoed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” urging citizens to take responsibility for building a self-reliant nation through transparency, accountability and integrity.