Cape Town – The Department of Home Affairs has denied reports alleging that border guards at the Beitbridge Border Post are blocking Zimbabweans who want to go back to their native country.
Reports alleged that some Zimbabweans who were trying to leave South Africa at the Beitbridge border had been stopped and turned back because they did not possess valid documents.
However, these reports were dismissed by Home Affairs in a statement.
“The Department of Home Affairs dismisses claims that Border Guards are turning back Zimbabweans who want to go back home when they reach the Beitbridge Border Post,” the department said.
It further said that the guards were directing the Zimbabweans to relevant queues.
ALSO READ | How migrants who move between Zimbabwe and South Africa access healthcare in border towns
“Border Guards are doing access control duties at the Beitbridge Border Post and they direct the Zimbabweans wanting to go back to their home country to the relevant queues so that they can be documented in accordance with the Immigration Act. This means that they need to be fingerprinted and have their demographic details taken.
“However, there are people who have refused to be documented on their departure. They believe that now that they are going back home, nobody needs to ask them any questions at our border,” the department said.
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said no exceptions could be made for people to cross the border undocumented.
“Nobody will be allowed to just waltz through our border to and fro without being documented. There are no exceptions in this regard, whether you go through a land port, sea port or an airport,” he said, “This is regardless of your nationality,” said Motsoaledi.
According to Home Affairs, the border guards have been trained on border control processes. One of the modules in their training included the process to follow when people want to leave the country but do not have enabling documents.
“There is no way South Africa will refuse anybody from going back home. But similarly, South Africa can’t just allow anybody to move in and out of the country without it being recorded anywhere,” the statement added.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: @nyebe_official
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
