Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
SOUTH African police have intercepted 87 Malawian illegal immigrants near Polokwane in Limpopo province after they entered the country through an illegal entry point along the Limpopo River.
The border jumpers were reportedly being transported in a truck to Durban in KwaZulu Natal Province.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said they intercepted the truck under the Westenburg policing area in the morning.
He said they also arrested the 50-year-old truck driver for bribery and other criminal charges.
“His arrest follows an incident which occurred in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) when a truck failed to adhere to a traffic sign, going into the Polokwane Traffic Control Centre.
“Subsequently, the Provincial Traffic Police Officers pulled it off and discovered 87 undocumented Malawian nationals. The driver was immediately arrested. The police were then summoned and started with initial investigations. These people are still being processed accordingly and the driver will appear before the Polokwane Magistrates’ courts soon,” he said.
Col Ngoepe said further investigations into the matter were in progress.
The Department of Immigration, with the assistance of other security agents, have been intercepting Ethiopians, Somalis, Congolese, Eritreans and citizens of countries north of the Zambezi River during their great trek to the south of the Limpopo.
It is understood that these are finding their way into the country through illegal crossing points in the northern and eastern parts of Zimbabwe.
According to security sources, the river is the main barrier for their trek to South Africa, hence they are intercepted at the border or roads leading to several illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.
derick.khumalo