33 Undocumented Zimbabwean Children Seized At Beitbridge Border, Two Adults Arrested

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) has confirmed that another group of undocumented children was intercepted at the Beitbridge Port of Entry on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.

According to BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato, the incident occurred at around 12:30 pm when a junior border guard on relief duty stopped and searched a minibus taxi at the border post.

The vehicle, a Zimbabwe-registered Siyaya taxi, was found carrying 33 undocumented children aged between 4 and 15 years. The children were travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe without the required travel documents.

Two adult Zimbabwean men, aged 32 and 23, were arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the children across the border.

Criminal cases have been opened against the suspects under the Immigration Act for assisting the illegal entry and movement of undocumented persons.

All 33 children were immediately handed over to South Africa’s Department of Social Development for further care and processing, in line with child protection procedures and the country’s legal obligations to protect vulnerable people. Said Masiapato:

“The Border Management Authority will not tolerate the exploitation of children or the facilitation of illegal cross-border movement.

“We remain committed to protecting the integrity of our borders while upholding human rights and child protection principles.”

The BMA said investigations into the latest case are ongoing, and the two suspects are expected to appear in court later this week.

Last week, the BMA, working closely with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), intercepted more than 20 minors near the Limpopo River, close to the Beitbridge border fence.

The children, aged between five and 17, were believed to be travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe when they were stopped during routine border security checks.

The group also included 10 adults, but preliminary checks by BMA officials confirmed that only one adult was the parent of a child. The remaining minors were travelling without parental supervision or legal guardians.