By 
By Tarisai Mudahondo
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has jumped to set the record straight on the matter involving the number of children that were intercepted at the South African border without any adults accompanying them.
On 3 December 2023, the South African Border Management Authority alleged that 443 unaccompanied Zimbabwean children below the age of eight years were intercepted in South Africa in what they view as child trafficking and handed over to Zimbabwe authorities. However, the ministry has set the record straight that the figure was 124 instead of the 443 that they released.
The statement reads ” To the contrary the two border authorities on both Zimbabwean and South African side have not received any official communication or confirmation on the alleged 443 children as reported in some publications.
“The Ministry would like to advise the nation that during the period 25 November 2023 to 3 December 2023 a total of 124 children (71 males and 53 females) were intercepted and handed over to the Department of Immigration at Beitbridge Border Post”.
Upon identification, the children were moved to a place of safety at Beitbridge Reception Centre awaiting relatives/ family tracing and reunification to date 101 children have since reunified with their families and efforts are underway to reunify the remaining 23 children currently placed at the Reception Centre.
The majority of identified children are from Bulawayo Metropolitan province and Matabeleland South province, these children were mainly intercepted attempting to cross the border without the requisite travelling documents, and others were travelling without an accompanying parent and guardian.
The Ministry is working with the Zimbabwe Republic Police to find out the perpetrators of this heinous offence.
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