Over 2,000 Zimbabweans were nabbed trying to skip border into South Africa

Over 2,000 Zimbabweans were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross into South Africa through the porous Beitbridge Border Post before, during, and after the recent festive season, South African authorities have reported.

With millions of Zimbabweans working illegally in the neighboring country, tens of thousands travel home for Christmas and New Year's holidays before making their way back. The surge in border crossings during the festive season led to intensified monitoring and enforcement measures by South Africa's Border Management Authority (BMA).

BMA authorities credited the use of new technologies such as drones, body cameras, and continued military operations for the arrest of 2,188 Zimbabwean border jumpers.

"The piloting of drones and body cameras by BMA during the festive season has demonstrated the power of digital transformation," BMA spokesperson Mmnmme Mogotsi told South Africa's SABC News.

"This has made a significant impact with more than 58,000 persons, including 2,188 around Beitbridge Border Post, detected and apprehended attempting to enter South Africa illegally."

Zimbabweans are among the many undocumented migrants in South Africa, often blamed for contributing to rising crime rates and unemployment. The deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe has forced many to cross the Beitbridge border in search of work in factories, farms, restaurants, and mines.

Border security advocate Jerry Mpofu emphasized the need for additional resources to support BMA efforts.

"What we are requesting is that government avails a lot of resources to BMA, because they have managed such a good job with so little at their disposal," Mpofu said.

The South African government continues to enhance border security to curb illegal immigration, but with economic hardships persisting in Zimbabwe, illegal crossings remain a major challenge for authorities on both sides of the border.