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The border jumpers wait for help (Pic by Thupeyo Muleya)

Thupeyo Muleya in Beitbridge Bureau
Two border jumpers were this morning left stranded when they were marooned on an island near Dulibadzimu Gorge while attempting to illegally cross into South Africa through the Limpopo River.

The man and woman are believed to be in their early 30s. They are awaiting assistance from the Air Force of Zimbabwe or the Musina Emergency Services.

The irregular migrants were spotted by a Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) employee Mr Francis Chiteni when he reported for duty at around 6.30am. He then alerted the Civil Protection Unit.

The island is located between the stream which feeds Beitbridge’s water treatment plant and the Limpopo River. The Department of Meteorological Services says Beitbridge received 10mm of rain between 8am yesterday and 8am today.

“I saw the two when I reported for work at around 6.30. I then started communicating with them through sign language ordering them to go to a higher place while I called for help,” said Mr Chiteni.

The District Civil Protection Unit chairperson Mr Peter Moyo said they had contacted the Air Force of Zimbabwe and Musina Emergency Services to help airlift the two border jumpers to safety.

“We received a report at around 7am and since then we have been making efforts to rescue the two. We have been communicating with the two through a hailer that they should stay at a higher ground while we are working towards assisting them,” he said.

“We are working with other stakeholders to ensure that the two are rescued as soon as possible. From the situation on the ground the man looks more stressed and we believe they were moving as a group and that he could have lost a close relative,” he said.

Mr Moyo said the Civil Protection Unity had people monitoring the situation while waiting for rescue services to arrive.

He urged people to desist from irregular migration as they risked their lives.

This incident comes a few months after 34 people were marooned for two days at the confluence of Bubi and Limpopo rivers in Tshikwalakwala. The group was airlifted to higher ground by the Air Force of Zimbabwe.