Beitbridge border post continues to lead in high volumes at land borders.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) have arrested at least 25 undocumented foreign nationals who were attempting to cross illegally into South Africa.
This brings the total to 571 illegal immigrants intercepted in the past few days.
The BMA is currently overseeing operations at the Beitbridge Port of Entry and has ensured that additional resources and operational support have been deployed across other ports of entry nationwide.
It said the Beitbridge border post, which links Zimbabwe, continues to lead in high volumes at land borders.
Undocumented foreign nationals
BMA Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communications Mmemme Mogotsi said the undocumented foreign nationals were intercepted on Monday, 5 January 2026.
Mogotsi said the BMA is averaging around 25,000 people on a daily basis, which we are processing as they come through into the country.
“So, since this morning on the 5th January in 2026, we have been able to intercept around 25 individuals who were attempting to enter the country illegally.
“We’re able to see them as they were crossing the Limpopo River, being assisted by some facilitators through a boat, and they entered into a no man’s land, and immediately they entered into the South African soil, we were able to bust on them, and we effectively got them arrested,” Mogotsi said.
Mogotsi did not say where the foreign nationals were coming from.
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Facilitators
She said the undocumented foreign nationals were intercepted by members of the BMA, border guard, together with members of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF).
‘On that basis, the individuals were brought in here into the port, and as we speak, we are busy processing them for deportation. Yesterday, we intercepted around 98 individuals; once again, they were attempting to enter the country illegally.
“We had two of the key facilitators who were actually arrested. And for those ones, we did not deport them; we opened a case for aiding and abetting, and we had to make sure they were taken to Musina police station.
“We opened a case according to the Immigration Act, and they are going to face the full might of the law,” Mogotsi said.
Specialised functions
Mogotsi added that the BMAA expects traffic to continue steadily this week and that the second peak is expected this coming Sunday.
Mogotsi said the BMA IS implementing various specialised functions to ensure that the entry into the country is controlled.
“We do the port health responsibility work. We also do immigration work, but we also do work relating to agricultural biosecurity, and one of the other activities that we do is on the basis of the monitoring of the vulnerable segments on the borderline for the purposes of intercepting individuals that are attempting to enter the country illegally.”
Mogotsi, the BMA has deployed its drone on a full-time basis to monitor all activities at the ports of entry.
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