Catering Company Faces Court Over Massive Diesel Smuggling
Blessful Catering (Pvt) Limited is facing legal charges in Zimbabwe for allegedly smuggling nearly one million litres of diesel and several loads of methanol. The company reportedly used falsified documents to disguise the fuel imports as bitumen through various border posts.
Why it matters
This case highlights significant issues regarding border security, tax evasion, and the illicit fuel trade in Southern Africa.
A local company, Blessful Catering (Pvt) Limited, has been taken to court on allegations of smuggling 977 500 litres of diesel into Zimbabwe from Mozambique and South Africa through the Chikwalakwala, Forbes and Beitbridge border posts.
The company, represented by Liranzo Mitchel Masiya (34) appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Ruth Moyo charged with smuggling.
The complainant is the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority represented by its Loss Control Manager, Hillary Simbaneuta. Sometime in 2022, Masiya reportedly formed a company named Blessful Creation (Pvt) Ltd solely to offer catering services nationwide.
Sometime in 2026, Masiya, acting in common purpose with one Marvin Kesani Masiya who is still at large allegedly hatched a plan to smuggle diesel into Zimbabwe from Mozambique and South Africa through the Chikwalakwala, Forbes, and Beitbridge border posts using Blessful Creation (Pvt) Ltd.
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