Guests

Just to ask if you are all aware of this new form

Cheers, Peter
----------------------------

Zimbabwe Currency Declaration Form for Visitors

I just received this information from SOAZ (Safari Operators Assn of Zimbabwe):

Please be advised that upon arrival in Zimbabwe, you will be required to fill out a Currency Declaration Form to state how much currency you are bringing into Zimbabwe. You will be given a copy. Upon departure you will be required to show the copy.

You already do a similar procedure with your weapons coming in and out of the country.

The Currency Declaration is apparently to stop what the authorities believe to be a loophole whereby Operators are trying to get clients to take out money for them. Since in the current economic climate the Operators are seldom in a position to send out large sums of money , this is erroneous, but arguing with authorities is a dead-end.

The best thing is to advise you of what is likely to be asked of you and to re-assure you that you are not about to be arrested or anything else dramatic. You are perfectly safe- just try not to lose your copy of the Declaration Form until you leave the country.

Zimbabwe, it's getting to be as bad as Mexico!

I am surprised the safari operators bank in Zim.

I would think they would take partial payment in USD in Zim with remainder deposited in another country.

A lot easier to leave the money out of the country instead of bringing it in and then trying to sneak it out.


Or is this a .gov response to a non-existant problem?

2008 I got " searched " at the airport - i had 4900 USD in cash on me, as I understand you cant bring out more than 5K out of ZIM ? Is that correct ?

IMHO, this is govt response to concerns (well grounded from what I have heard/seen from Mugabe) that those dang white people will try to emigrate/flee the country and take any USD or anything else with them when the shit hits the fan.

When I hunted there in December of 2008 the Safari Company I hunted with had a client/friend who ran a bank in Texas. They requested I send my deposit to them at that bank.

Ask Ivan Carter why he bought property and built a home in Michigan...

Rich
DRSS

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
IMHO, this is govt response to concerns (well grounded from what I have heard/seen from Mugabe) that those dang white people will try to emigrate/flee the country and take any USD or anything else with them when the shit hits the fan.

When I hunted there in December of 2008 the Safari Company I hunted with had a client/friend who ran a bank in Texas. They requested I send my deposit to them at that bank.

Rich
DRSS

Rich ...

Can a (non-resident) legally open a bank account in the USA in their own name without living there and without having a USA address.

If YES then can that chap you mention whom own's/runs the bank in TX open accounts online, as if the answer is YES I am interested myself to open one, and there may be many others as well !!!

Any information welcome on that bank or others which might welcome non-resident online accounts

Cheers, Peter

Like many countries, Zim has required, for some time now, that you declare how much cash you are bringing in with you. The blue form. However, they did not require that you keep a copy to present on the way out. I suspect that if true, they are just doing the same form in duplicate. In the past, there has always been a "financial cop" on duty at the airport, who has, in theory, the right to ask tough questions about cash.

I think this will open the door to shakedowns. If they know you have $xK on you when you leave the country, they can find "a way" to get you to leave some behind. For example, did you guys know that Zim imposes a minimum daily rate for PG and DG hunts in Zim? So if you have been on a 10 day hunt, and you can't prove that you paid the minimum DR based on your cash coming and going, they will put the screws to you (as in follow me) and knowing the average guy, he is going to hand over $500 or whatever it takes rather than miss his plane. So then everybody will be hit up for $500. Next year it will be $1000.

It's the baboons at Cape Point thing. The more you give, the more they demand. Zim is hungry for dollars, everybody is on the take.