Terrence Mukupe, Zimbabwe’s former Deputy Minister of Finance, has suffered a significant setback as the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal in a fuel smuggling case.¹ Mukupe, along with Same Kapisoriso, Ngonidzaishe Mutsvene, and Joseph Taderera, was convicted of violating Section 174(1)(e) of the Customs and Excise Act and sentenced to a three-year prison term and fined USD 12,780 in November last year.
The quartet’s illicit scheme involved smuggling 138,979 liters of diesel into Zimbabwe without paying duties, falsely claiming the fuel was destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, they replaced the diesel with water within Zimbabwean borders. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority uncovered the operation using electronic cargo tracking, intercepting four tankers at Chirundu Border Post. Prosecutor Witness Mabhaudhi argued that substantial evidence supported the charges, emphasizing the deliberate violation of customs regulations.
The smuggling operation resulted in significant revenue losses for the state, with the National Prosecuting Authority estimating USD 55,591.60 in lost duties and taxes. Defence lawyer Lewis Uriri contested the conviction, arguing the prosecution failed to prove its case conclusively.
