A South African woman’s attempt to follow her Malawian lover back to his home country was stopped by South African authorities after they discovered she had lied about her nationality and did not have a passport.
According to Home Affairs acting chief director Albert Matsaung, the KwaZulu-Natal woman, who was travelling with her lover, told officials on arrival at the temporary repatriation site in Musina that she was also Malawian.
The woman was blocked from being repatriated, and it is not yet clear whether she will face any charges.
“We work with different authorities here who interviewed her,” Matsaung said.
“After the interview, Malawian authorities realised that the story does not add up.”
The woman was handed over to South African officials, who confirmed she is South African. She had intended to take advantage of the voluntary repatriation process to travel with her lover.
“People wishing to visit other countries must not abuse this process,” said Matsaung.
“We are not trying to promote illegal immigration to other countries by our own citizens, so this process must not be abused.”
Matsaung said all South Africans who want to travel to other African countries, including those who want to visit their partners, must do so legally.
He said what she attempted is not allowed under the Immigration Act, and that immigration officers are working with the Department of Social Development to find ways to prevent similar cases.
More: eNCA
Leave a Reply Cancel reply