Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has warned those seeking to enter South Africa with fraudulent negative coronavirus test results that they are undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and will be dealt with. Motsoaledi visited the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina to assess the situation.
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi monitors compliance at the Beitbridge Border Post:
The Minister says he has given instructions to all border post officials that anyone attempting to come into South Africa with a fraudulent COVID-19 test result must be told to return to their country of origin and their passport stamped undesirable.
Limpopo Health MEC Pophi Ramathuba earlier confirmed that 17 incidents have been recorded of people trying to enter South Africa from Zimbabwe with false negative COVID-19 tests.
MEC Ramathuba on plans for returning travellers after New Year celebrations:
“You can’t just come with a fraudulent document and they look at it and smile and say, ‘oh, it’s fraudulent’. It can’t happen that way. The person who wants to enter your country with a fraudulent document is undermining your sovereignty; it’s undermining the order in your country; it’s undermining all the laws. Remember, COVID-19 protocols are as per Disaster Regulations that were announced very clearly. So, if anybody breaches it, I’ve given an instruction, any person who comes with a fake COVID-19 certificate is caught they must be returned. They must never be allowed and their passport must be stamped undesirable.”
He says South Africa cannot accept people who submit fraudulent documents into the country.
“People can only come with valid COVID-19 certificate or come and do an indigent test here. When you come with a fraudulent one, you are destroying and undermining the sovereignty of that country. Why should we allow in? You go back, you come with a false certificate which says you are negative when maybe you are positive and we must say ‘don’t worry, we will subject you to test? No, that’s wrong; you are accepting a fraudulent person in your country who will practice other forms of fraud. Such a person is not allowed and I’m sure every country would do that.”
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi monitors Beitbridge Border Post:
Ports of entry
Some Zimbabwean nationals, who work in South Africa, say they decided to come back on New Year’s Day after rumours started circulating in Zimbabwe that the Beitbridge Border Post might be closed on Sunday.
However, Motsoaledi says there’s no intention from government to close ports of entry.
“I know nothing about closure of borders. What I know is whether it’s a border area, port of entry and Home Affairs office, if somebody tests positive in that particular area, we close temporarily for decontamination only. Decision to close Beitbridge Border Post, I would not know for what reason. We haven’t taken that decision. There’s no decision to close any border in South Africa.”
