Zimbabwean Woman Who Died At Beitbridge Not Part of Repatriation - South Africa Says

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has clarified that a Zimbabwean woman who died after collapsing at the Beitbridge Border Post on Tuesday was not part of the government's official repatriation program. The department's Chief Director, Albert Matsaung, stated that the woman had traveled from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on a bus that was not officially linked to the repatriation center.

Matsaung was speaking at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Centre, where the processing of undocumented immigrants continues. He emphasized that numerous buses regularly commute between South Africa and Zimbabwe, transporting individuals who are not part of any repatriation initiative. The information received indicated that the deceased woman was among those traveling on such a regular service.

According to the department, the woman's relatives were on the same bus with her. This bus was reportedly continuing its normal journey to Zimbabwe, separate from the organized repatriation efforts managed by the authorities.

“

I must confirm that, that bus is not a bus that is linked to the repatriation centre. Remember there are buses that continue to commute to Zimbabwe, there are buses that continue to commute to several countries where ordinarily those buses are transporting some of the people that are moving from all the provinces. Information that we have received is that this person was of the people that were moved from Pietermaritzburg.