SOUTH Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) has suggested serious engagements with Zinbabwe in a bid to deal with worsening cases of border jumping, this time involving children.
Over 50 children were detained by BMA over the last part of the festive holiday with 33 of them having been caught trying to skip back into Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Some 12 adults were arrested for their role in the movement of these children across the border.
“This is a very serious crisis that we are dealing with,” said the BMA according to state broadcaster SABC News.
“At this point, there needs to be serious engagement with the Zimbabwean government in terms of the challenges that we are experiencing in terms of the movement of undocumented children.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that these children came here for the festive season period, now they are going back home but the manner in which this movement is being conducted is wrong.”
Beside millions who are living in South Africa illegally, a significant number of Zimbabweans, especially those with families there, cross the Limpopo on foot and makeshift boats to visit during the December holiday.
