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Sting operation prevents 443 Zimbabwean children being trafficked into South Africa, says home affairs

Source: News24, 04/12/2023

42 buses from Zimbabwe were stopped and searched at the Beitbridge border post.
• On Saturday evening, 42 buses from Zimbabwe were stopped and searched at the Beitbridge border post.
• According to home affairs, 443 unaccompanied minor children were found on the buses.
• It is alleged that the children were being trafficked into South Africa.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) at the Beitbridge border post has stopped more than 40 buses carrying about 440 unaccompanied children, who were allegedly being trafficked into South Africa.
On Saturday evening, 42 buses from Zimbabwe were stopped and searched at the Beitbridge Port of Entry in Limpopo.
`During the search, 443 unaccompanied minors under the age [of] 8 [years-old] were found in the buses, being trafficked into South Africa, with no consent of parents or guardians,` home affairs said in a statement.
The bust was part of a sting operation conducted by the BMA border guard, the counter-corruption and security services branch of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and members of the South African Police Service.
Home affairs said that all the people on the buses were refused entry into South Africa, and after engaging with the Zimbabwean authorities, they were all taken back to Zimbabwe, including the children.
`All the children who were saved were holding Zimbabwean passports, and thus they were handed over to the Zimbabwean authorities for processing.`
Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi condemned what he termed as `acts of criminality, especially where the interest of the child is at stake`.
`It’s unacceptable that these minors were not with their parents or guardians throughout this ordeal. Protecting children, especially in this period of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, is paramount,` Motsoaledi said.
The minister added that the `hard work` of the BMA is commendable and that they are pulling out all stops to prevent acts of crime and illegal entry into the country.
`The BMA is hard at work and is making inroads in effective border law enforcement,` Motsoaledi said.
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The authority said that on the same evening, 150 adult Zimbabweans were also stopped and apprehended.
`The entire episode at Beitbridge shows the great achievements of the BMA and in a very short space of time. It’s a good sign in tackling sharply the outcry on porous borders.
`We’ll continue relentlessly to act swiftly in enforcing immigration and other laws in the interest of national security and safety of all persons in the country, especially during this peak period, the festive season, and beyond,` Motsoaledi said.

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