BMA exposes illegal immigration tactics involving minibus taxis

MPs heard that two minibus taxis left for Zimbabwe empty and returned to South Africa again without passengers, only to be intercepted in Musina with illegal foreigners. The Border Management Authority (BMA) on Friday told parliamentarians that the two minibus taxis that were intercepted in Polokwane, Limpopo, earlier this month with more than 50 illegal foreigners had left Beitbridge for Zimbabwe and entered South Africa without passengers. Briefing the joint meeting of the Transport and Home Affairs Portfolio Committees, BMA Assistant Commissioner Balene Mkhabela said the interviews with the undocumented foreigners had revealed that they were facilitated in the country by means of a make-shift boat at a cost of R100 each.

“The buses passed through Beitbridge twice. The one bus (minibus taxi) exited South Africa for Zimbabwe. The second bus also left for Zimbabwe.

The same buses came back following each other in the evening, still no one was in the buses,” Mkhabela said. TheBMA,the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, and Home Affairswere appearing before the committee to brief on the intercepted minibus taxis, as well as action taken against the companies found transporting illegal foreigners into the country. The department made a presentation on traffic register numbers, which are issued by the Transport Department to foreign nationals, apparently acquired using fraudulent documents. Mkhabela explained that BMA was informed thattraffic authoritiesintercepted two minibus taxis travelling from Musina, driven by South African nationals, on May 22.