South Africa deports 5 Zimbabwean children

Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Mike Masiapato has spoken about the interception and deportation of five children at Beitbridge, one of the busiest ports of entry in South Africa.

The swift action taken by authorities led to the safe return of these minors to their families in Zimbabwe, thanks to the collaboration with their Zimbabwean counterparts.

Masiapato emphasized the importance of international cooperation in ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals crossing borders.

He stated, “The collaboration with our Zimbabwean counterparts was crucial to ensure the safe return of these children to their homes.”

This successful operation highlights the effectiveness of joint efforts in border management and security.

In addition to the interception at Beitbridge, authorities at Grobler’s Bridge encountered a woman with a child attempting to leave South Africa without proper documentation.

The woman, lacking a passport and carrying only an emergency travel document, was accompanied by an undocumented child.

Both individuals were taken into custody by social services and placed in a secure facility in Limpopo.

These incidents come at a time of increased border activity, with Masiapato reporting a significant rise in the number of travelers processed at various ports of entry.

In just ten days, over 1.1 million travelers were processed across 71 ports of entry, marking a more than 20% increase from the previous year.

Additionally, nearly 4,000 individuals were intercepted for attempting to cross the border illegally during the same period.


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