AN ILLEGAL border jumper was marooned in the Limpopo River near River Ranch while trying to cross into South Africa on Sunday.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele said Benjamin Makubaza (20) of Zaka in Masvingo was in the company of two other men when he was marooned on an island as the river swirled following heavy rains lashing most parts of Southern Africa.
“A 20-year-old man was marooned on an island in the Limpopo River near River Ranch on Sunday and was rescued by villagers,” Ndebele said.
“The other two male adults managed to swim across the river to the other side, but were taken back to the Zimbabwean side,” Ndebele said.
He warned border jumpers against using undesignated crossing points as they were putting their lives at risk.
“As police, we continue to handle several cases of people drowning or being marooned in the Limpopo River while trying to illegally cross into South Africa. We would like to urge people to desist from doing so as they put their lives at risk,” Ndebele said.
He encouraged people to use proper documents instead of resorting to border jumping saying getting a passport was now an easy thing.
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In December last year, two other alleged border jumpers were also marooned on an island near Dulibadzimu Gorge while attempting to illegally cross into South Africa through the Limpopo River. A few months earlier, 34 people were also marooned for two days at the confluence of Bubi and Limpopo rivers in Tshikwalakwala and had to be airlifted to safety by Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopters.
Several have in the past been killed by the deadly reptiles or attacked by criminals known as amagumaguma that waylay border jumpers.
These criminals rob border jumpers and rape females almost with impunity.
