BMA operation prevents trafficking of 443 children into SA

Buses carrying 443 children, who were allegedly being trafficked into South Africa was, stopped at the border post and sent back to Zimbabwe.

BMA OPERATION PREVENTS TRAFFICKING OF 443 CHILDREN INTO SA  

The Border Management Authority (BMA) Guards, working with the police and an anti-corruption team from the Department of Home Affairs, searched 42 buses at the Beitbridge border post.

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In the buses they found about 443 children under the age of eight years travelling without parents or guardians.

THEY FOUND 443 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT 

The Commissioner of the BMA, Dr Michael Masiapato, revealed the details during a press briefing on Sunday.

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“They were able to stop and search about 42 buses trying to enter the republic and out of that we found about 443 children under the age of eight that were in those buses without any parent or any guardian. Fairly, they were being trafficked into South Africa.

“We were able to take them out of those buses. We were then able to engage with the Zimbabwean officials and we handed them back to Zimbabwe for processing back into the country,” – he said.

Commissioner of @TheBMA_SA Dr Mike @masiapata highlights that during a search operation, busses travelling from Zimbabwe were intercepted carrying 443 children , all under the age of 8…The children were being trafficked into SA.

— The Border Management Authority SA (@TheBMA_SA) December 3, 2023

THESE CHILDREN WERE TRAVELLING WITHOUT PARENTS OR GUARDIANS 

He said the BMA expects at least six million people to move through South Africa’s borders during the festive season.

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Masiapato said the BMA has engaged with South Africa’s six immediate neighbouring countries on the “synchronisation of processes and other work modalities” including working hours.

“While some of our busiest ports already operate on a 24-hour basis, the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has already approved our request to extend the operating hours on other identified critical ports on certain dates that we agreed with our immediate neighbouring countries,” he said.

THE FOLLOWING PORTS OF ENTRY WILL NOW BE OPERATIONAL 

The following working hours will now be operational at ports of entry:

• Grobler’s Bridge to Botswana: 06:00 to midnight on 15, 16, 22 and 23 December
• Swartkopfontein to Botswana: 06:00 to 20:00 from 14 to 17 December, 22 to 24 December, 2 to 4 January as well as 13 and 15 January
• Kosi Bay to Mozambique: 06:00 to 18:00 from 14 December to 14 January
• Mahamba to Swaziland: 07:00 to midnight on 15, 23, 24 December
• Jeppes Reef to Swaziland: 07:00 to 10pm from 22 December to 2 January
• Mananga to Swaziland: 07:00 to 20:00 from 18 to 23 December
• Sanipass to Lesotho: 06:00 to 20:00 on 15, 16 December as well as 21 to 24 December
• Caledonspoort: 06:00 to midnight 15, 16 and 23 December and 2 January. On 22 December, the port will operate for 24 hours.
• Van Rooyensgate: 06:00 to midnight on 15, 16 and 24 December as well as 8 January. It will operate for 24 hours on 23 December and 2 January.
• Monontsa Pass: 07:00 to 18:00 on 23 and 24 December as well as 2 and 3 January
• Pekabridge: 08:00 to 18:00 on 23 and 24 December as well as 2 and 3 January

HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WILL BE DEPLOYED

“In addition, we will be deploying about 380 additional personnel at the selected busiest ports of entry to assist with the delivery of services and provision of technical support during this period. There are also a number of senior members from the Border Technical Committee (BTC) who have been allocated individual ports for their visitation during the identified critical dates to provide support to the operational teams on the ground,” – he said.