A smuggler maps out how he
gets undocumented immigrants into SA
City Press – 18 January
2023
Thulani Mujuru* became a
transporter of both goods and immigrants, documented or undocumented, across
the Beitbridge Border Post.
He realised that he could
assist his fellow Zimbabweans seeking access to South Africa – but who did
not have the required documents to do so – to live their dream of working
in the rainbow nation.
Speaking to City Press in
the Johannesburg CBD, the self-proclaimed entrepreneur opened up about how his
business of assisting undocumented immigrants cross the border had given him
access to the money he never had, which he was “willing to take risks for”.
The Zimbabwe national
shared:
From Zimbabwe to South
Africa, I charge R2 000 per person. That R2000 includes the crossing fees
charged by law enforcement and officials who must be bribed at different points
of the journey.
The 38-year-old explained
that while he received customers through word of mouth with bookings made
telephonically, he relied a great deal on border-jumping guides called Impisi,
who know which routes are safe to travel on, and on which days and at which
times the routes have police or soldiers patrolling them. This helps to ensure
his “customers” successfully gain entry into South Africa.
He told City Press:
The customer gives me R2
000. I then arrange with Impisi, who I pay R300 or R350 per person and he is
the one who guides my customers, taking them from the beginning of the journey
until I meet up with them in South Africa, and they have successfully evaded
any obstacles.
Mujuru told City Press that
there were usually three possible routes illegal immigrants could use when
embarking on their illicit journey, explaining that each of these three “safer”
routes required payments to those with the necessary powers to either grant or
deny the desperate immigrants entry into South Africa.
“The safari lodge
route – where people will travel through the Limpopo River; the new bridge
route – which connects South Africa and Zimbabwe; and the old bridge route
with the railway line – the Alfred Beit Road Bridge.”
He said each of these
routes had various points “where police, soldiers or security officials had to
be paid, adding that some migrants who cannot or want to avoid paying bribes in
cash opt to cross the river”.
Mujuru clarified:
Everything starts on the
Zimbabwean side of the border at two specific garages, right at the Beitbridge
border – either the Caltex or Engen garage – where people who need to cross the
border, illegally or legally, meet me, for instance, as their transporter.
“Those who cross illegally
and I then meet our Impisi for that day at a certain point of the Limpopo
River. The Impisi tells us which route we will be using, and I give him his
money.”
The routes
According to the
transporter, the way things are done varies from trip to trip:
Sometimes I as a driver
could decide to go with my people the illegal way to keep an eye on them and a
second driver will wait for us on the South African side, or I will be the one
who legally enters South Africa using my passport and then wait at the Shell
garage on the South African side.
Asked about which Shell
garage he was referring to, Mujuru answered: “There is only one, just after the
border.”
The first point, which is
still on the Zimbabwe side, will have soldiers, police and maybe security
officials. That is at the river, where one’s journey will begin.
“The Impisi negotiates
payment to these law enforcers to be allowed to continue with their journey
with those crossing the border illegally. Most of the time, the Impisi will be
charged R100 per person, which I give to him to give to law enforcement
officials.”
“Once that R100 is paid,
the journey continues. There is always a possibility of finding unexpected
police who we will need to bribe, so the journey is unpredictable. But with
each step, we part with something,” Mujuru said, adding that he tried to ensure
that he “did at least four trips a week for the money”.
Migrants travelling from
Zimbabwe use this botched border fence to enter South Africa. The fence cost
taxpayers R37-Million:
He explained that should
the safari lodge route be used to enter South Africa, those making the trip
would travel across the Limpopo River on makeshift pontoons made from tubes and
poles and would have to pay extra to those steering the pontoons.
Once this amount is paid,
migrants and their goods are shipped until they reach the South African side of
the river, where they will have to make their way through a veld.
Mujuru explained:
In all instances, customers
will then make their way through the bushes on the South African side with the
intention of safely reaching the Shell garage, which is before Musina, and meet
their transporter there.
The transporter and his
customers will then begin the unpredictable journey into the “heart of
Johannesburg”.
According to Mujuru,
throughout this journey, he and his customers could be stopped by police “who
we then have to pay them so they let us go”.
“The drive takes over five
hours because we might get stopped a lot.”
What experts and officials
say
According to immigration
specialist at Webber Wentzel Bianca Rutherfoord-Jones, South African border
officials have a difficult job monitoring foreign nationals wishing to enter
the country.
“The borders at our
neighbouring countries are currently an issue and we have seen that the
minister of the department of home affairs is attempting to tighten the borders
and root out corruption at the borders,” Rutherfoord-Jones told City Press.
“The home affairs
minister has spoken out about corruption in the department and we consider
this to be a major weakness in addressing the issue of foreign nationals
entering and remaining in the country illegally.”
Meanwhile, spokesperson for
the minister of home affairs Siya Qoza told City Press that for the 2021/22
financial year, the Maseru, Lebombo and Beitbridge ports of entry recorded the
highest number of deportations, respectively.
Mujuru said:
I don’t think people are
scared of crossing the border illegally because money is what talks. People
know that those officials are hungry for money. So, you bring the money, and
off you go.
How much is it worth?
While Mujuru charges R2 000
per person for illegal entry into South Africa, he explained that he was left
with less than half of that at the end of each trip:
What I am left with by the
time I reach my destination is probably about R500. It’s not worth it, but I
have no option. This is a chance I have to take because it is better than
nothing.
“Six years ago, when I
started, I charged R1 500. So there has been an increase of R500 in six years
and the only reason there was an increase was because of Covid-19. Many of us
do this and the more you charge, the more customers will approach others who
offer the same service. The competition is high.”
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