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Thupeyo Muleya

Beitbridge Bureau

The 28 Malawian border jumpers who were rounded up on Saturday while hiding at a house in Beitbridge are now facing deportation to their country after a local court found them guilty of violating Zimbabwe’s immigration laws.

The group of men aged between 18 and 29 years, was raided in Kwalu 2 Suburb (formerly Mfelandawonye), where they were holed up pending illegal transportation to South Africa.

They were busted by a team comprising the ZRP and the Department of Immigration’s Compliance and Enforcement section.

Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Toyindepi Zhou convicted the illegal immigrants on their own plea of guilty on Monday afternoon.

He warned and cautioned them before ordering their deportation by the immigration authorities.

The arrests are part of border officials’ crackdown on illegal migration and related activities.

This follows the resurfacing of syndicates using fake customs and immigration stamps to clear goods and travellers in and out of the country.

Prosecuting, Mr Cloudios Karinga said the group entered the country illegally on April 9 and were transported to Beitbridge in a truck that left them at a house in the border town.

He said they were raided by the police and immigration officials on the following day before they could leave for South Africa via an illegal crossing point again.