Undocumented Zimbabweans to appear in Bloemfontein court

Authorities will bring several undocumented Zimbabwean nationals before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday after intercepting a cross-border bus in the Free State.

Law enforcement officers stopped a bus travelling from Zimbabwe to Cape Town and found 55 passengers on board. Of these, 29 were undocumented, including seven minors.

Authorities escorted the bus to the Lengau Testing Centre in Bloemfontein for processing.

This marks the third such interception on Free State roads since the start of the month.

Arrests of undocumented Zimbabweans continue to rise

Earlier this month, 16 undocumented Zimbabweans were arrested along the N1. Ten of them briefly appeared in the same court.

The latest operation brings the total number of undocumented individuals arrested in the province to 65 since the beginning of April.

Officials say monitoring and interception operations remain ongoing.

BMA reports thousands intercepted over Easter

Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority says it intercepted 4 763 people attempting to enter or leave South Africa illegally during a ten-day Easter operation at ports of entry.

BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said many of those stopped did not have valid documentation to be in the country, while others carried fraudulent visas.

He added that some travellers also failed to produce required yellow fever vaccination certificates.

Authorities say border enforcement efforts will continue as part of broader measures to curb illegal crossings.