Save The Children: Zimbabwean Children Intercepted At Beitbridge Border Were Smuggled Not Trafficked
Save The Children, a non-profit organisation, believes that the recent attempt to transport over 400 unaccompanied Zimbabwean children to South Africa was a case of child smuggling rather than trafficking.
Border Management Authority officials intercepted 42 buses carrying 443 children, all under the age of eight, at the border post in Musina, Limpopo.
Patience Joe from Save The Children said that the children were likely being taken to visit their parents who work in South Africa. She told SABC News:
So I think for us, the concern is exactly that we are saying these children were trafficked. So, I think to unpack what trafficking is – trafficking is the taking of children from a safe environment for exploitation. In this instance, we haven’t heard of any allegations of that which to us is appearing as child smuggling.
Child smuggling is the taking of children and bringing them into a country where they do not have the valid documents or the valid visas that are required by that country. Which in this case, is appearing to be so.
This comes after Zimbabwe’s Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, July Moyo, stated they had not received official confirmation on the alleged number of children. He said between November 25 and December 3, a total of 124 children were intercepted and handed over to the Department of Immigration at Beitbridge Border Post. Moyo added that efforts were underway to reunite the remaining 23 children with their families.
Moyo said these children were mainly intercepted attempting to cross the border without the requisite travelling documents. Others were travelling without an accompanying parent or guardian.
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