The Sunday News
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
POLICE have arrested four illegal Ethiopian immigrants in Beitbridge who were enroute to South Africa through an illegal crossing point along the Limpopo River.
A Bulawayo resident, Solani Ngwenya (32), was also arrested for facilitating the four’s illegal movement in the country.The Ethiopians have been identified as Ibrahim Ali Maalim Adam (30), Debe Ikran Abdi, Abdi Samiya Abdulai and Mohammed Ahred Adi.
It is reported that the Ethiopians and their host were intercepted by intelligence officers at a local garage in Beitbridge on Wednesday afternoon as they were about to leave for South Africa.
The five who are jointly charged for breaching a section of the Immigration Act appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa on Thursday where Ngwenya was released on $50 bail.
The Ethiopians were all remanded in custody to 20 November after the State indicated it needed to find an Arabic interpreter.
Prosecutor Mr Francis Muripa told the court that on 4 November Adam facilitated the illegal entry of his fellow countrymen into Zimbabwe through Victoria Falls.
They travelled to Bulawayo where, he (Adam) met Ngwenya and they made arrangements for transportation of the trio from Bulawayo to Beitbridge enroute to South Africa.
Adam allegedly paid Ngwenya $200 for the service and left Bulawayo for Beitbridge. He left the trio in the company of Ngwenya who later followed with them to Beitbridge the following day.
Upon getting to Beitbridge, Ngwenya was intercepted by intelligence officers at a local garage before he could hand over the trio to Adam.
Adam was also arrested at the same point when he came to collect his countrymen. The five were subsequently handed over to the police.
Of late there has been an increase in immigrants from Pakistan, Ethiopia, DRC, and Somalia who enter the country illegally and try to skip the border to South Africa.
They are reportedly entering the country through, Harare International Airport, Nyamapanda, Chirundu, Victoria Falls and Forbes border posts with the assistance of human trafficking syndicates operating in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is understood that there is not much synchronisation of the movement control system at the country’s ports of entry which would help reduce irregular migration.
In most cases these illegal immigrants are intercepted at the Beitbridge border where there is a natural barrier in the form of the Limpopo River in comparison with other borders.
