440 Children rescued from being trafficked into South Africa.

A conducted sting operation by the Border Management Authority (BMA) has rescued 440 children. This is from being illegally migrated into South Africa. BMA Border Guards, assisted by the police and anti-corruption team from the Department of Home Affairs, raided 42 buses at the Beitbridge border post.

According to the BMA commissioner Micheal Masiapato, children aged eight and under were found in buses without a guardian or parent. The rescued children are said to be approximately 440 children. This is an illegal act of kidnapping which has highlighted the evident act of trafficking.

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The commissioner stated during a media brief on Sunday, “Just last night, a sting operation conducted by guards, the Home Affairs anti-corruption teams, and members of SAPS stopped and searched 42 buses”.

“-We denied them entry and activated the Zimbabwean officials to process them back into Zimbabwe”.

The BMA reported that it is implementing an extensive plan involving longer border post operating times. Additionally, it is deploying more officers on the ground as part of its festive season operations. This is to strengthen security in South Africa’s borders with neighbouring states. Masiapato revealed that the BMA anticipates at least 6 million individuals to move through South Africa’s borders. This is anticipated during the festive season.

“So, in this period of 2023/34, we anticipate a full recovery to the pre-Covid average number. Of about six million people who are supposed to be moving out of our ports in this period,” said Masiapato.