Batswana arrested for illegal entry into Zimbabwe

MOGOMOTSI BUZWANI
Correspondent | Friday October 8, 2010 00:00

Tutume station Commander Superintendent Vusimusi Jorowe revealed to Mmegi that the five Batswana - four men and a woman - were arrested last week and released the following day for crossing the border illegally.

He said the five were charged as illegal immigrants at Mambatshi village police station in Zimbabwe during the Independence Day holidays last week.

This incident follows a near-diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries last year when the Zimbabwean police arrested three Batswana wildlife officers after they crossed the border illegally.

Jorowe explained that the five were part of a group of 12 Batswana from Maitengwe village who were arrested on September 30 after entering at un-gazetted points while tracing the footprints of thieves who had broken and stolen property from their houses.

According to the report, the other seven returned to Maitengwe the same day while the five remained until they found the thieves. They then took the thieves to the nearest police station in Bambatshi where they were asked to produce their passports while the suspected thieves were also taken into custody. Jorowe said the five Batswana failed to produce passports and one of them who is a teacher managed to pay the fines they were charged.

'They were charged and one of them was released to come and collect cash in Botswana because none of them had money. Zimbabwean police worked well with these Batswana,' Jorowe said.

Meanwhile, Jorowe appealed to the public to continue helping to search for a three-year old girl Atlang Pumpy Puso who went missing early last month (September) in Tutume.