Contractor jailed for attempted smuggling

A 32-year-old Zimbabwean cross-border bus conductor was sentenced to an effective two years in jail for trying to assist 11 illegal immigrants to cross into South Africa through the Beit Bridge border post.

The border jumpers were travelling from Harare to Johannesburg aboard the cross-border bus.

Elsey Nkenesa of Harare was convicted on his own plea of guilty to a charge of contravening a section of the Immigration Act by local magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa on Friday. The court was told that on 10 July, Nkenesa arrived at the Beit Bridge border post aboard a South African-registered cross-border bus with 11 undocumented immigrants.

While at the border post, Nkenesa tried to assist the undocumented immigrants to cross into South Africa illegally after charging them R150 each. The offence came to light when the bus was intercepted by police detectives who were manning the exit gate and they discovered that the 11 passengers were undocumented during their routine checks. During interrogations it was established that they had paid a total of R1 265 to Nkenesa, so that he could facilitate their illegal passage into the country.

Nkenesa was searched, leading to the recovery of R1 150, and he was subsequently arrested. The border jumpers were also arrested and fined US$20 each.

News - Date: 02 August 2013

Mashudu Netsianda

Mashudu Netsianda is our correspondent in Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe. He joined us in 2006, writing both local and international stories. He had worked for several Zimbabwean publications, as well as the Times of Swaziland. Mashudu received his training at the School of Mass Communication in Harare.

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