Zimbabwe: Five children from Zimbabwe were stopped at the Beitbridge port by the border security officers while they were trying to leave the country. The five children were trying to illegally enter the South African borders.
The official reports suggest that this is not the first incident of attempted border crossing from the people of Zimbabwe.
The reason for the issue is the largely spread political unrest in the country, the people have lost faith in the administration of Zimbabwe. They have also expressed concerns over the Zanu-PF government’s oppression.
Border Management Authority South Africa officer, Commissioner Mike Masiapato shared the details about the interception at Beitbridge port. He has asked the Border authorities of Zimbabwe to work with their South African partners to address the issue.
The officer assured that the children who had been stopped from leaving the nation were transported back. They eventually returned to Zimbabwe to reunite with their families.
The authorities have also reported another similar incident at the Grobler’s Bridge port of entry. A woman and her child were attempting to leave South Africa for the Republic of Congo. They had taken the route passing through Botswana to get to their destination.
The officials revealed that the woman and child had no proper documentation. The practices highlight the gravity of the issue which makes the people resort to risky means to escape political persecution in Zimbabwe.
Even though South Africa has increased its border security measures, border crossings rose in 2024 compared to 2023.
Over the Easter period, nearly 4,000 individuals were intercepted while trying to enter South Africa illegally. The majority of these illegal immigrants did not possess any form of documentation to confirm their identities.
Masiapato highlighted that the junior border guards play a huge role in strengthening all the security measures. These practices are particularly critical for the vulnerable border segments. However, he added that there are still challenges to be faced as many individuals being declared undesirable or inadmissible.
This is mainly due to invalid documentation of the individuals or fraudulent visas.