SOUTH Africa’s recently instituted Border Management Authority (BMA) has revealed that 35,000 people have been arrested while trying to sneak into the country since April 1, with Zimbabweans topping their list.
The BMA fingered Beit Bridge Border Post as their biggest source of illegal migrants on a list that includes six others such as Maseru and Ficksburg into Lesotho; and Lebombo into Mozambique.
Speaking on South African news channel eNCA, BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said they were confident of successfully putting an end to border jumping along the 250km stretch boundary with Zimbabwe and other ports of entry.
“Generally, I would say our border with Zimbabwe which is about 250km in terms of the distance is one of the biggest generators of illegal migrants,” said Masiapato.
“That is where the majority of those that were intercepted were trying to enter the country from.
“We also have some huge numbers in terms from Lesotho into the Republic.”
BMA which started operations on April 1 will be officially launched at the busy Beit Bridge Border Post, where hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have passed legally and illegally headed to South Africa, by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Added Masiapato: “On the 5th of October in Beit Bridge the President Cyril Ramaphosa is going to officially launch the BMA as a third law enforcement authority. We are confident that it will make a contribution and assist in addressing the problems.”
A more than two decade long economic crisis has seen the influx of Zimbabweans not just in South Africa for greener pastures, but other countries across the globe too.
An estimated two million are said to have moved to South Africa over the past decade alone, with thousands more leaving each month.
Millions are also estimated to have migrated outside Africa where jobs within developed countries’ health sectors are readily available for trained individuals.
A relatively stable economy, job opportunities and better living standards have made South Africa a go-to for most Africans, with some coming from as far North as Somalia and as far West as Nigeria.
All of these have been deemed excess baggage and accused of straining the country’s public services by various senior officials in the South African government.
An operation to flush them out, Operation Dudula, turned violent last year after fuelling xenophobic attacks on foreigners.
Source: All Africa
