More buses carrying Malawians from Durban were expected to arrive at the border later on Thursday or during the early hours of Friday morning.
Picture: Berea Mail
In a marathon 13‑hour operation, the Border Management Authority (BMA) processed over 1 500 Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals for repatriation to their countries.
The foreign nationals were processed at the Beitbridge Port of Entry early on Thursday morning and represent the largest number of Malawian nationals processed by the BMA in a single day as part of a coordinated repatriation exercise.
As part of the stringent verification process, BMA border guards conducted headcounts before each traveller was presented to immigration officials.
Repatriation
BMA Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communications and Marketing Mmemme Mogotsi said the operation required the full mobilisation of BMA personnel, supported by officials from the Department of Home Affairs and Saps Public Order Policing (POP)
Mogotsi said this was to ensure that all travellers were processed in accordance with the applicable immigration laws and established operational procedures.
“In the early hours of this morning, 17 buses arrived carrying a total of 1 129 Malawian nationals for repatriation. This represents the largest number of Malawian nationals processed by the BMA in a single day as part of a coordinated repatriation exercise.
“All 1 129 Malawian nationals were found to be without any documentation authorising their continued stay in the republic. The Malawian nationals had been issued Emergency Travel Certificates through a collective facilitation process coordinated by the Malawian High Commission to enable their return to their country of origin,” Mogotsi said.
Zimbabweans
In a separate but related operation, Mogotsi said an additional 467 Zimbabwean nationals were processed on Thursday after being transferred from the Lindela Holding Facility for deportation at the Beitbridge Port of Entry.
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the successful completion of the prolonged operation demonstrated the “capability and dedication” of officials entrusted with securing and managing South Africa’s ports of entry.
“The processing of such large numbers requires precision, vigilance and coordinated teamwork. The Border Management Authority, together with our partners from the Department of Home Affairs and SAPS, once again demonstrated our ability to balance border security imperatives with the dignified treatment of those being repatriated.”
Arrival in Malawi
The Malawian High Commission has indicated that additional buses carrying Malawian nationals from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) were expected to arrive later on Thursday or during the early hours of Friday morning.
The BMA said it will continue to work closely with domestic and international partners to ensure that repatriation processes are undertaken in an orderly, lawful and humane manner.
