Zimbabwe's tax authority, ZIMRA, has suspended its chief and five managers in connection with the purchase of luxury cars which were undervalued by a local dealer in order to pay lower import duty, it said on Sunday.
Critics and the opposition accuse President Robert Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, of failing to tackle high level graft, and say endemic corruption is one reason that foreign companies are hesitant to invest.
Many Zimbabweans perceive officials at ZIMRA, especially those operating on the country's borders, to be corrupt and the suspension will only reinforce their views. ZIMRA commissioner general Gershem Pasi's suspension followed the appearance in court last week of two men accused of undervaluing and preparing fake import documents for cars that they imported on behalf of the five suspended managers.