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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Five South African armed female police officers who were on Thursday afternoon arrested and detained at Beitbridge Border Post after straying into Zimbabwe, have been cautioned and released.
Constables Duduzile Sabina Whazamula, 26, Monica Sheron Mongwe, 26, Thobile Zodwa Mathebula, 34, Ennie Felicty Jose, 33 and Deptiney Khomanani Mahungati, 28, were also found taking pictures of themselves near an informal sector clearing point commonly known as Kugomba.
The suspects were picked up by alert Zimbabwean police officers who were on patrol at the border post at around 4PM.
Sources on the Zimbabwean side yesterday said the police officers were released at around 8PM following negotiations between senior security officials from both countries.
“They were picked up by alert police officers while taking pictures and were detained at the police post inside the border, where they were then interrogated and released after engagements between security officials from both countries,” said a source at the border post.
The officer commanding Matabeleland South Province Senior Assistant Commissioner Munyaradzi Musariri said yesterday that he was not aware of the incident.
It is understood that the police officers who are all based in Pretoria but were recently deployed to Musina, entered the border post on foot.
Indications are that even the police officers on the South African side were not aware of the five’s presence at the border since they had been deployed to Musina, about 12 kilometres away.
The incident comes a few years after two South African police officers were arrested by Zimbabwean soldiers when they shot at a tout they were chasing from their side of the border.
The duo was later released after negotiations from both countries.
derick.khumalo