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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The South Africa border guard who shot and killed a Zimbabwean on Wednesday by the New Limpopo Bridge, has been arrested and appeared in court on Thursday.
He was facing murder charges and was remanded in custody to Monday, for killing the Zimbabwean identified as Tawanda Makombe, 37, of Mutoko, who had remonstrated over his treatment of an elderly woman.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, said: “Through our consulate, we have received feedback concerning the shooting incident and we are informed that the member of the Border Management Authority has been arrested on charges of murder.”
Ambassador Hamadziripi said the guard appeared in court Thursday and was remanded in custody to February 20,
“We now have the case number and we have also identified the deceased as a Zimbabwean, Tawanda Makombe (37) of Mutoko in Mashonaland East,” he said.
The embassy was contacting Mr Makombe’s family in case they required consular services and was ready to assist them.
The guard from South Africa’s Border Management Authority shot and killed Mr Makombe at the New Limpopo Bridge on Wednesday at around 4am, when the man remonstrated with the guard over the way border security personnel were assaulting an old woman for collecting empty cans and plastic containers.
Mr Makombe’s body was left lying on the tarmac at the foot of the bridge until it was collected and ferried to Musina Government Mortuary at around 7am.
Travellers passing through the border expressed shock at the killing of an unarmed person.
“This is sad. The man was shot in the head at close range by one of the border guards for reprimanding them about assaulting an elderly woman,” said a witness Mr Washington Guruve.
“After the incident the police chased us away and took the border guard in for questioning. We don’t know what happened after that.”
Another witness, Mr Johnson Zisengwe said Mr Makombe rushed to one of the guards near an illegal crossing point after seeing two of them assaulting an elderly woman.
While he was busy engaging the security official, one of the border guards emerged from the illegal crossing points and grabbed him by the collar.
Mr Zisengwe said the guard shot Mr Makombe once in the head at close range.
“The police rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshot and upon questioning the border guard, the man indicated he wasn’t aware his gun had a round in the chamber when he pointed it at Tawanda’s head,” he said.
“This is very unfortunate. It’s very painful to see a man being killed so easily for pleading a genuine case.”
Another vendor who operates around the border who preferred anonymity said she was saddened by Tawanda’s killing.
“This incident is disturbing and we hope there will be justice for our brother,” she said.
South Africa deployed the border guards at Beitbridge in July last year and these are working with the defence forces from that country.
The Border Management Authority is a single authority for border management with a single command and control, established through the Border Management Authority Act of 2020.
They are operating as a section under the Ministry of Home Affairs in South Africa.
Online Reporter