40 EMASWATI ARRESTED IN SOUTH AFRICA

LAVUMISA – About 40 locals who were desperate to get into South Africa to get goodies for new year’s celebrations are now desperate to get out of that country.

Surprisingly, the now distressed emaSwati were able to pass into the neighbouring country last Friday morning but later got more than what they had bargained for when South African authorities eventually embarked on a no-nonsense crackdown on border jumpers in the afternoon.

The different family members from areas lying around the borderline at Sitilo, in Lavumisa, are now stuck in that country, where they were forced to usher the new year in holding cells.

The victims were arrested after police officers from the neighbouring country demanded to see their immigration documents, which they were not able to produce while in that country last Friday.

Affected families talked about the pain of spending the past weekend raising funds to rescue their arrested family members.

Upsetting

Perhaps, what is even more upsetting is the fact that all their efforts were in vain, and their loved ones ended up spending the first day of the year behind bars, and in a foreign country.
“Today is already Wednesday (yesterday) and they are still there. We now don’t know what to do, children are crying back home without their mothers,” lamented a relative of one of the people who have been detained in SA.

Most of the locals who were affected were from doing shopping at the nearby SA town of Pongola ahead of the new year crossover. However, they ended up not being part of the celebrations with their families after they were rounded up and transported to the Magudu Police Station, where they have been detained since Friday.

The sudden turn of events took the dozens of emaSwati by surprise as they were used to a soft approach by the SA security personnel which they encountered on their regular travels across the borderline for various services.

Several interviewed residents said they were used to crossing over into the neighbouring country through the informal crossing at Sitilo, where authorities had never given them problems. However, they said they were taken aback on Friday when they saw some community members being quizzed as police officers searched their bags. It later transpired that the law enforcers had been searching whether they had the relevant immigration papers or not.

Crackdown

According to a witness, the crackdown targeted emaSwati who were returning home after doing their shopping in the neighbouring country.
“It came as a surprise as we had all along enjoyed an established relationship with the security personnel stationed there.

It appears like new officers were dispatched to the crossing area over the festive season, which has caused problems with the locals who were already used to crossing without being subjected to any checks. This was very unfair to the arrested people,” argued a resident. 

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation acknowledged receiving a report about the incident. The official said the matter was being addressed with their SA counterparts. However, at the time of going to print, this reporter was still waiting for a detailed report from acting Principal Secretary in the ministry Kennedy Groening, who was said to be held up in a meeting.

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