Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 31-year-old man, believed to be part of a syndicate using fake date stamps to clear goods and travellers between South Africa and Zimbabwe, has been arrested at Beitbridge Border Post.
Mutamba Jikicha was found in possession of two fake Zimbabwean immigration stamps and one fake South African immigration stamp, which he had been using to clear travellers at his “immigration office.”
Jikicha was arrested on Saturday after facilitating the passage of two travellers into Zimbabwe and South Africa. He is also facing charges of resisting arrest after being confronted by police detectives at his place of operation.
When Jikicha appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Miss Annia Chimweta, he was not asked to plead to charges of forgery, possession of articles for the commission of a crime and resisting arrest. He was remanded in custody to March 27 for trial, with bail set at US$200, pending the proceedings.
Prosecutor, Mr Claudius Karinga informed the court that Jikicha had been habitually processing travellers and goods at the border using fake date stamps. On March 22, police detectives received a tip-off about his activities and tracked him to his residence in Dulivhadzimu suburb, where they seized two fake Zimbabwean immigration stamps and one fake South African immigration stamp.
They also found two valid Zimbabwean passports that Jikicha had stamped with both fake stamps. Additionally, they recovered a passport belonging to one Violet Bangira from Jikicha’s room, leading to his immediate arrest.
In recent months, there has been a rise in the use of replica immigration and customs stamps to facilitate the clearance of goods and travellers between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
To combat this, the Department of Immigration has deployed a Regional Compliance and Enforcement Unit to address issues such as child smuggling, rent-seeking activities and irregular migration at the country’s busiest inland port.
Many Zimbabwean nationals, who are illegally residing in South Africa, often pass their passports to cross-border bus drivers or other intermediaries for endorsement at the border. This practice allows them to appear as though they have returned to Zimbabwe, thereby “legalising” their stay in South Africa, often using counterfeit immigration stamps. The use of fake stamps has become a persistent challenge for border authorities in both countries.
Over the past five years, more than 20 people have been arrested, and over 60 fake immigration stamps have been recovered at Beitbridge. Under South Africa’s immigration laws, Zimbabweans are allowed a stay of up to 90 days per year without a visa, while South Africans are granted a visa-free stay of 30 days in Zimbabwe. However, immigration officers at the border are often reluctant to grant Zimbabweans extended stays, leading to the exploitation of this loophole by syndicates who charge between R1 500 and R2 500 to grant people an additional 90 days per entry.
In a related case, Trust Dhliwayo, a 31-year-old man believed to be the leader of a similar syndicate, was recently sentenced to four months in prison by a Beitbridge magistrate. Dhliwayo was arrested for endorsing fake immigration and customs stamps for seven Zimbabweans travelling from South Africa.
During his arrest, authorities seized six fake immigration stamps, including one South African customs stamp, four Zimbabwean immigration stamps, two Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) stamps, four fake South African permits, one fake Zimbabwe Defensive Driver’s Licence, as well as multiple ink pads and bottles.
