17 Apr 2020

 Government has, on April 16, repatriated 62 Zimbabweans who had handed themselves to the police on April 15.

The 62 Zimbabweans, who included both legal and illegal immigrants, handed themselves to the police after struggling to pay rent and starvation during the extreme social distancing period.

Selebi Phikwe police station commander, Superintendent Meshack Pulenyane said in an interview that majority of the Zimbabwean nationals entered the country legally at the beginning of March and were allowed a 90-day stay.

Supt. Pulenyane said they were however left stranded when Botswana went on an extreme social distancing period from April 2 because they could not get the ‘piece jobs’ they normally engaged in, resulting in starvation and failure to pay rent.

He said when they realised that they could not survive the lockdown, they handed themselves to the police.

He added that the first group arrived on April 15 from Selebi Phikwe while other groups were from Sefhophe and Bobonong.

He said they were provided with accommodation and food at Kagiso Community Hall, prior to their deportation on April 16. ENDS