Court Orders Deportation of 16 Mozambican Women Found Guilty of Contravening Immigration Act

• The Barberton Magistrates Court sentenced 16 women from Mozambique to be deported back to their home country
• This was after they were found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act after the South African Police Service arrested them in Kaapmuiden last week
• South Africans do not believe that the deportation will have any effect, and some opined that they would return the same way they came

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

BARBERTON, MPUMALANGA — 16 Mozambican women who were arrested last week after crossing the border illegally into South Africa will be deported after a court found them guilty.

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Barberton court finds women guilty

According to TimesLIVE, the 16 women were part of the group of Mozambicans who were arrested at Kaapmuiden in Mpumalanga last week on 8 August. Police received information that two taxis and a bakkie were transporting undocumented Mozambican children, men and women to Johannesburg.

The suspects were charged with kidnapping, aiding, abetting and contravening the Immigration Act. The court sentenced them to an R2000 fine or six months imprisonment. The court also ordered them to be deported back to their country. The 15 men with them will appear on 20 August for their case and remain incarcerated.

Netizens doubt deportation would be effective

South Africans on Facebook did not believe the women would remain deported.

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Xolani Zwaner said:

"They must first serve their sentences because if they immediately deport them, they will come back."

Ntate Mahlaole said:

"Weekend they will be here again."

Hlanganani Onke Ndzonda said:

"Friday they will come back."

Jackie Mostert said:

"SA has a weak border control and custom management. There are still hundreds of thousands that need to be deported."

Lungile Mdladla said:

"They'll be back."

25 travellers deported after Border Management Authority arrests them at OR Tambo

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the Border Management Authority arrested 25 travellers who entered SA illegally through the OR Tambo International Airport.

The BMA arrested 13 Bangladeshis and three Pakistanis for holding fake visas. A Nigerian, a Bangladeshi, four Ghanaians and three Pakistanis did not meet the entry requirements.

Source: Briefly News