Authorities intercepted a bus travelling from Zimbabwe to Cape Town carrying 32 undocumented foreign nationals during a roadblock on the N1 near Bloemfontein.
The vehicle was stopped at a roadblock on the N1 near Bloemfontein, where officials discovered the undocumented passengers among a group of travellers.
According to authorities, 43 passengers were lawfully processed at the Beitbridge Border Post, while the remaining passengers were allegedly taken on after the bus had already entered South Africa, in Makhado and Johannesburg.
Free State police spokesperson Thabo Covane confirmed that 16 of the 32 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. A case of contravention of the Immigration Act has been opened, and the court will determine whether the accused will pay a fine or serve a custodial sentence.
“Those who can afford to pay the determined fine amounts will be handed over to immigration officers. They will then be detained further, awaiting deportation processes.
''When the approval is received, they will then be transferred to Lindela, where they will be officially deported to their homeland. Those who cannot afford to pay the fine amounts will serve the sentence period in prison. Parents of the minors are deported directly to their homeland.”
Twelve children have since been taken to a place of safety.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee, Mosa Chabane, welcomed the interception, describing it as a critical intervention against violations within the cross-border transport sector.
“We commend the provincial department for its vigilance and decisive action. This interception exposes serious violations that undermine the integrity of our immigration system and border controls,” said Chabane.
He has called on the Border Management Authority to act decisively against the bus operator, Rimbi Travel and Tours, including possible suspension pending an investigation into how the undocumented passengers were transported.
Chabane further stressed the need for consequence management, warning that failure to act firmly would encourage continued non-compliance and weaken border control systems. He also called for stronger coordination between law enforcement agencies, including immigration officials, police and metro authorities, to address the presence of undocumented foreign nationals within the country.
“An integrated law enforcement approach is critical to ensure that undocumented individuals within our borders are identified and processed in line with the law. This requires ongoing collaboration and information-sharing between all relevant authorities,” he said.
He added that the committee intends to pursue a joint engagement with its policing counterparts in the next parliamentary term to explore more coordinated and lasting interventions.
The Star
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