Bhero (Bales)
Bhero is a Zimbabwean slang term used to refer to Bales of second hand clothes illegally imported from Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia. The large wrapped or bound bundle(s) of second-hand clothes are smuggled through border posts such as Mt Selinda and Sango. The merchandise is sold at open markets around the country.
Ban
Zimbabwe first banned the importation of second-hand clothes in 2015 to protect the local textile industry. In 2017, the restrictions were relaxed following an outcry that livelihoods of thousands of people that depended on the business had been affected.
In May 2020, Cabinet made a U-turn and announced government would enforce the ban saying the second-hand clothes posed an unprecedented danger of contracting COVID-19 by those who wear them.[1][2]
References
- ↑ Ban on second-hand clothes to be enforced, The Herald, Published: May 6, 2020, Retrieved: April 15, 2021
- ↑ Brenna Matendere, Covid-19: Second-hand clothes ban sparks outrage, The Standard, Published: May 10, 2020, Retrieved: April 15, 2021
