Twenty unsupervised minors were intercepted near the Beitbridge port of entry. Picture: Supplied An 11-month-old baby was found abandoned at Beitbridge port of entry on 13 December 2025, while a kidnapped South African child from Johannesburg was intercepted being smuggled to Mozambique. These are some incidents involving children that have highlighted the need for child protection during the 2025-26 festive season.
Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato revealed the alarming trend during a media briefing on Friday. Masiapato reported that 53 unaccompanied minors were discovered at Beitbridge alone, with some children as young as three years old travelling without documentation. “On the 13th of December, an 11-month-old baby was found abandoned at the port of entry,” Masiapato said.
At Lebombo port of entry, 15 minors were intercepted attempting to illegally exit South Africa. Another alarming incident involved a Mozambican national attempting to smuggle a South African child across the border. “It was later discovered that the child was reported missing in Johannesburg, and the suspect was immediately arrested, and the matter was referred to the South African Police Services (Saps) for further processing,” the commissioner explained.
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Initial investigations revealed the child came from Fourways, Johannesburg, and had been reported kidnapped, though authorities found no indication of syndicated activity. The crisis prompted the BMA to convene an urgent meeting with its counterparts at the Zimbabwean embassy.
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