JOHANNESBURG – South Africa will impose hefty fines on transport operators who ferry undocumented travellers into the country.
Those caught on the wrong side of the law will pay penalties of R15,000 per traveller.
A notice of the new fines has been flighted on the Department of Home Affairs’ website.
It says cross-border bus or taxi operators who carry people without passports or other valid documents will be fined the amount per passenger.
The new regulation applies to all of South Africa’s ports of entry, including the Beitbridge Border Post with Zimbabwe.
Beitbridge is a well-known crossing point for some taxi operators paid to smuggle through unregistered travellers.
Earlier this month, two taxi drivers were arrested in Limpopo Province as they tried to smuggle 34 Zimbabweans into South Africa.