Cabinet Task Force Moves to Rein in Grocery Black Market

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate lingers around 94 per cent annually, a little-known but hard-hitting Cabinet task force is emerging as the unsung hero behind fuller supermarket shelves and steadier prices for everyday essentials like mealie-meal and cooking oil.

Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere, in a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, credited the Task Force on Business Malpractices with sparking a “renewed sense of confidence” among retailers, whose sales volumes have climbed thanks to aggressive crackdowns on smuggling and substandard goods.

Established earlier this year by the Cabinet under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the multi-agency task force, comprising the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), and Consumer Protection Commission,  has launched province-wide raids that have netted millions in illicit hauls.

In a January operation alone, Zimra seized goods worth US$2.4 million, including foodstuffs and second-hand clothes, while impounding dozens of vehicles used by cross-border smugglers.

A December 2024 sweep, its precursor, targeted small businesses and transporters, confiscating smuggled items that flooded markets and undercut local producers.

“These operations have led to the identification and confiscation of substandard products for destruction,” Muswere said.

A government report on 14 basic commodities, from bread and sugar to beef and eggs, shows adequate stocks maintained across retail outlets, with exchange rate stability in the new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency helping preserve consumer purchasing power.

Monthly inflation rose just 0.4 per cent in August, per Trading Economics, allowing families to budget without the dread of overnight price spikes.

Business feedback, as relayed by Muswere, points to “increased sales volumes attributed to enhanced compliance,” a direct nod to the task force’s vigilance.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president, Mr Denford Mutashu, said the change is palpable.

Smuggling persists as a drag on local industries, with authorities vowing to intensify surveillance.

“This reflects a growing alignment between regulatory enforcement and private sector interests,” Muswere said.