A 32-year-old Zimbabwean bus conductor was sentenced to a fine of R2 800 or four months in jail on Monday, 22 August,  for attempting to smuggle a group of border jumpers, among them children, into South Africa through the Beit Bridge Border Post.

Sobala Mabhena of Entumbane suburb in Bulawayo, who is employed by the Zebulon Express Bus Company, was convicted of assisting border jumpers by a local magistrate, Mr Carrington Karidzagundi.

Mabhena was further sentenced to four months in prison, which was wholly suspended for five years, on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within that period.

The court heard that on 17 August at around 21:00, Mabhena, who was travelling in a cross-border bus, was spotted by police officers patrolling the border area while in the process of assisting a group of women who intended to cross into South Africa illegally.

The women were in the company of their undocumented children.

The officers descended on Mabhena, leading to his arrest.

Meanwhile, a Beit Bridge man was also sentenced to a fine of R1 500 or three months in jail for attempting to cross into South Africa while using someone else’s passport.

Andrew Ndlovu (25), of Dulibadzimu suburb in the border town, was convicted by Mr Karidzagundi.

The prosecutor, Mr Reason Mutimba, said that on August 17, Ndlovu went to the Beit Bridge Border Post intending to cross into South Africa. On arrival at the border post, he presented himself to an immigration officer and produced a passport as part of the immigration formality.

The court heard that on scrutinizing the travel document, the immigration officer manning the counter discovered that the passport did not belong to Mabhena.

A report was made to the police, leading to Mabhena’s arrest. The passport, which was issued to Kenny Falala Sibanda, was seized.