Two South Africans, who were on a visit in Zimbabwe, were each sentenced to a fine of R3 000 or two months in jail on Friday for attempting to smuggle two undocumented Zimbabweans into the country through the Beit Bridge Border Post.

The two men were arrested on separate occasions.

Lisiba Alpheus Selema (51) of Zone Two, Mahwelereng, Mokopane, and Earnest Mmbulaheni Muofhe (36) of Johannesburg were convicted on their own pleas of guilty to contravening a section of the Immigration Act (assisting border jumpers) by Magistrate Gloria Takundwa.

In addition to the sentence, Selema and Muofhe were slapped with another six months in jail, which were conditionally suspended for five years.

The prosecutor, Ms Memory Mandityira, said that on 11 October Selema arrived at Beit Bridge Border Post driving his car, a Limpopo-registered Toyota Corolla. He was heading towards South Africa in the company of Charles Chitimbe, a Zimbabwean resident from Chegutu. As part of the border formalities, the two men were asked to produce their passports by a local police officer manning the exit gate, during which Chitimbe failed to produce his travel document. On being quizzed, Chitimbe revealed that he had entered into a deal with Selema, so that the latter could smuggle him into South Africa for a fee. Selema was then arrested.

Chitimbe was ordered to pay a fine of US $10 at the local immigration desk.

On the same day, Muofhe also arrived at Beit Bridge Border Post, driving a Gauteng-registered VW kombi, which was heading to Johannesburg. He was travelling with Brenda Mupereki, another illegal immigrant who had no passport. On being intercepted by a police detective at the exit gate, Mupereki was asked to produce her travel document. She failed to do so, leading to Muofhe's being arrested for attempting to smuggle her into South Africa.