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

“Border Guards are doing access control duties at the Beitbridge Border Post and they direct the Zimbabweans wanting to go back to their home country to the relevant queues so that they can be documented in accordance with the Immigration Act,” said the department.

This it further added means that they need to be fingerprinted and have their demographic details taken.

“Nobody will be allowed to just waltz through our border to and fro without being documented. There are no exceptions in this regard, whether you go through a land port, sea port or an airport. This is regardless of your nationality,” said Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

Border Guards have been trained on border control processes. One of the modules in their training included the process to follow when people want to leave the country but do not have enabling documents.

“There is no way South Africa will refuse anybody from going back home. But similarly, South Africa can’t just allow anybody to move in and out of the country without it being recorded anywhere,” the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency