Umamah Bakharia | ub@radioislam.co.za

5min read
20 September 2022 | 11:30 am CAT

The Department of Home Affairs dismisses claims that Border Guards are turning back Zimbabweans who want to go back home when they reach the Beitbridge Border Post.

This follows reports that surfaced last week stating that Zimbabweans were being turned away from the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe due to failure to produce legitimate documentation.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Department of Home Affairs: Head of Communications, Bongi Gwala, says the department has noted the claims and can confirm they are inaccurate.

“The department wants to place it on record that we dismiss such claims that border guards have turned back Zimbabweans who want to go back home when they reach any port of entry,” says Gwala.

Border guards at the Beirtbridege border have been conducting ‘access control duty’ whereby direction is given to Zimbabwean nationals wanting to return to the country to the relevant ques. This is so that they can be documented under the Immigration Act.

On the claims, Gwala says: “these are people who refuse to be documented on their departure; they believe that now they are going back home, so nobody needs to ask them questions.”

The ministry of home affairs has stated that laws are in place for undocumented foreign nationals.