‘Zim govt aware soldiers are receiving bribes to allow undocumented nationals into SA’

South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has alleged that Zimbabwean military commanders are ignoring their pleas that soldiers are taking bribes and allowing undocumented nationals into South Africa.

South Africa, last year, intensified its response to “illegal” migration, focusing on arresting, detaining and deporting undocumented Zimbabwean migrants.

On Monday, the media in South Africa reported that the South African government had put up three massive roadblocks manned by the army, police and Home Affairs in an attempt to stop undocumented Zimbabweans from entering South Africa.

Speaking at the tour of Beitbridge Border Post, Motsoaledi said the Zimbabwean military commanders were aware that soldiers were receiving bribes to allow undocumented Zimbabweans to enter South Africa “but nothing is happening.”

“The military command in Zimbabwe knows that there are soldiers taking bribes to let people in and we have told them that but nothing is happening. What we have learnt is that these people come by cars from Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The cars stop on the other side of the border and whoever does not have documents will then move out of the car. The car will go in because the driver has documentation, pass through the border and they come to meet the person who would have crossed illegally.

“It does not happen very far from the border because they can’t walk that distance so that is why we catch them here.”

The economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe has led directly to a major increase in migration flows to South Africa. Nehanda Radio