From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
Hundreds of Zimbabweans and nationals from other southern African countries are stranded at Beitbridge Border Post after the South African Home Affairs Department embarked on a blitz to flush out illegal immigrants and travellers using fraudulently-acquired passports from that country.
The blitz has left a number of people stateless following the confiscation of their passports by South African officials and this means Zimbabwe has to vet these people first before allowing them into the country.
The clampdown started last Monday morning as some travellers trooped back to South Africa after spending the Christmas holiday in Zimbabwe and other countries to the north.
A number of travellers were by yesterday afternoon still being forced to surrender their passports after failing to explain to immigration officials how they acquired the documents.
This has become a common practice by the South African immigration authorities who find it difficult to clamp down on holders of such documents during the course of their daily lives.
However, several travellers complained that they were genuine South Africans and urged their government to intervene.
It is understood that a special team from the Home Affairs Department in Pretoria has been dispatched to Beitbridge to specifically screen travellers.
Those caught with fake documents are automatically denied entry into South Africa or are taken to court to face fraud charges.
Zimbabwe’s assistant regional immigration officer in charge of the southern region (Beitbridge), Mr Charles Gwede, confirmed the developments yesterday.
He said instead of withdrawing the travel documents, the South African officials should investigate their origin as some of them might be valid.
One of the victims, Mr David Maluleke, who hails from Giyaniin, Limpopo Province, in South Africa, said he had since engaged a lawyer to fight his case. Mr Maluleke said he had travelled to Bulawayo for the Christmas holiday only to be told he was no longer a South African citizen and that his passport was not valid.
In light of the blitz at Beitbridge Border Post, some travellers are now going via Botswana.
A South African immigration official at the border post said the blitz would continue until mid-January when all migrant workers were expected to be back in that country.
“You will understand that there are a number of people with travel documents fraudulently acquired from our department, hence we need to get rid of that here at the border.
“We are withdrawing all the documents we suspect were fraudulently acquired after rigorously vetting the holders. In some cases, some of the culprits will be charged with fraud and may face blacklisting and imprisonment,” said the official who declined to be named.
source.allacfrica.com
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