933 Mozambicans repatriated from South Africa in coordinated operation
via The Citizen2 min read
The Border Management Authority BMA confirmed the departure of 933 Mozambican nationals from South Africa through the Lebombo Port of Entry, in one of the largest coordinated repatriation operations recently. Of these, 349 individuals were deported from the Lindela Holding Facility by the Department of Home Affairs, and 584 traveled from Mossel Bay with arrangements facilitated by the Mozambican High Commission. BMA deputy assistant commissioner Mmemme Mogotsi stated that the operation involved an integrated approach with immigration, health, law enforcement, and border guard functions, in partnership with Home Affairs, Social Development, the SA Police Service, and Mozambican authorities. All travelers underwent immigration processing, including identity verification, biometric checks, and status assessments. Among those processed, 17 had overstayed their authorized period of stay, and 38 minors were processed with assistance from Social Development to ensure compliance with child protection requirements. While 926 individuals successfully departed, seven were not permitted to leave due to documentation or nationality issues, including minors without required papers, with arrangements made for them in line with legal requirements. BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato emphasized the importance of lawful and consistent management of cross-border movement within South Africa's immigration framework. Separately, Malawi announced a voluntary repatriation program for its national
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Citizen.
President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged public skepticism regarding government promises during the launch of a borehole project in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. This initiative aims to improve water supply in communities, including Hammanskraal, where residents have faced issues with water quality and access for years, exacerbated by a cholera outbreak in 2023. Ramaphosa stated that the people of Hammanskraal have endured significant hardship due to the lack of clean water, leading to a loss of trust in the government's ability to deliver solutions. He emphasized that the launch of this project, which includes three interventions, represents tangible progress rather than just another plan. The Department of Water and Sanitation indicated that the Klipdrift 50-megalitre-per-day Package Water Treatment Plant, implemented by Magalies Water, will provide an additional 50 megalitres of treated potable water daily to the City of Tshwane's distribution network. This is expected to benefit approximately 47,550 households, or about 180,679 residents, in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas. The borehole schemes, located at Kekana Community Hall, Botlhokwa bja Bana, Suurman Ridge Unit 5, Mashemong Section 5, and Lepheng Village, include boreholes, elevated storage tanks, communal water collection points, and water treatment systems. These projects are anticipated to improve access to safe drinking water for over 1,400 households and students in the Hammanskraal area, providing peace of
Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka's investigation report on the informal food industry in Gauteng highlights a critical shortage of environmental health inspectors and a significant decline in food safety compliance. The report, released on Friday, was prompted by numerous food poisoning incidents in late 2024, which resulted in the deaths of at least 23 children in Gauteng. The investigation aimed to determine if the Department of Health, municipal departments, the National Consumer Commission, and food inspectors failed in their duties. The Public Protector noted that Gauteng, with approximately 16 million residents, requires 1,600 environmental health practitioners EHPs based on international and national standards of one EHP per 10,000 people. However, the province's municipalities have an EHP staff capacity of only 30.3% overall, with Johannesburg at 50%, Ekurhuleni at 23%, and Tshwane at 21%. Sedibeng and the West Rand district municipality had the lowest rates at 16% and 18%, respectively. The report also found that while 55% of spaza shops in Gauteng's three largest municipalities are owned by foreign nationals, the overall licensing and compliance levels across the province stand at a mere 28%. This means for every licensed spaza shop, there are almost three unlicensed ones operating. Ekurhuleni had the lowest spaza shop compliance rate at 5%. Gcaleka emphasized that municipalities are responsible for regulating food sales and business registrations. She recommended t
South African schools continue to experience incidents involving pupils falling into pit toilets, despite the Department of Basic Education's pledge to eradicate them by March 2025. Recent incidents occurred at Mogogelo Primary in North West and Zakhele Primary in KwaZulu-Natal. At Mogogelo Primary, a Grade 1 pupil fell into a pit toilet after a contractor abandoned the site, leaving open inlets. The school's education spokesperson, Vuyo Mantshule, stated the school did not barricade the construction area. At Zakhele Primary, a five-year-old pupil was rescued from a pit latrine earlier this year. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor at the University of Johannesburg, noted that under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Safe programme, 3,372 schools with unsafe pit toilets were identified in 2018. As of April 2025, 96% of these schools had been addressed, with 141 awaiting completion, a number that has since fallen to around 135. Yassim also highlighted that about 1,770 public schools still had some form of pit toilets in 2024, though many also had alternative sanitation. The department has allocated R1.6 billion for the 2025-26 financial year to complete pit latrine eradication. Last year, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube informed parliament that the Safe initiative had eradicated over 93% of identified pit toilets and confirmed that all 3,372 schools identified in the 2018 audit now have safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.