Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
SOUTH African border authorities have intercepted 33 more children who were being illegally transported from South Africa to Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge Border Post.
The interception comes as authorities from Zimbabwe and South Africa continue to coordinate efforts to curb child smuggling, which tends to spike during school holidays when children are ferried between the two countries by couriers.
Last week, another 20 children were intercepted after being smuggled through an illegal crossing point into Zimbabwe.
South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, said the latest group of children, aged between four and 15, was intercepted on Tuesday.
He said the minors were travelling in an omnibus accompanied by two adult males.
“At approximately 12 midday, a BMA junior border guard deployed during the relief shift stopped and searched a minibus taxi at the port of entry,” said Dr Masiapato.
“The vehicle, a Siyaya Zimbabwe-registered taxi, was found to be transporting 33 undocumented minor children between the ages of four and 15, who were travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe.”
Dr Masiapato said two Zimbabwean male suspects, aged 32 and 23, were arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the children across the border.
“Criminal cases have been opened against both suspects in terms of the Immigration Act in relation to the facilitation of illegal entry and movement of undocumented persons,” he said.
All the children were immediately handed over to South Africa’s Department of Social Development for further processing, in line with child protection protocols and the country’s domestic and international obligations to safeguard vulnerable persons.
Authorities have reiterated calls to parents and guardians to follow proper legal procedures when travelling with minors across borders to prevent abuse, trafficking and exploitation.
Despite stiff fines imposed by the South African Home Affairs on omalayitsha caught smuggling undocumented travellers or those with expired passports or no valid visas, into South Africa, cases of smuggling such persons are on the increase.
Those caught smuggling undocumented persons are fined R15 000 per person.
The Zimbabwe-South Africa Cross-Border Co-ordination Committee for Unaccompanied and Separated Migrant Children has on many occasions raised concern over the rampant smuggling of minors into the neighbouring country.
The committee is made up of officials from the two countries’ social service departments, immigration, police, non-governmental organisations and human rights lawyers.
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