Truck driver to appear in court for transporting illegal immigrants

The driver of a truck that was transporting 87 illegal immigrants intercepted at the Polokwane control centre on Wednesday, is expected to appear before the Polokwane High Court on Monday, 17 September.
Truck driver to appear in court for transporting illegal immigrants
© vitpho – 123RF.com

He faces charges of bribery, violation of immigration laws and possible additional criminal charges.

The truck was spotted by traffic officers after it did not adhere to a traffic sign leading to the Polokwane traffic centre.

The officers pulled the truck off the road and upon inspection, they discovered the 87 illegal immigrants from Malawi, who were allegedly traveling to Durban.

The truck was impounded and the police were called to arrest the 50-year-old truck driver and the Malawian nationals.

The Limpopo provincial government says it is pleased with the officers for intercepting the truck.

According to the MEC for Transport and Community Safety in the province, Makoma Makhurupetje, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed that all the 87 immigrants are undocumented. This means that they are also facing charges of violating immigration laws.

“As the Limpopo provincial government, we have full confidence in the justice system that they will deal with this matter accordingly without fear or favour and we maintain that Limpopo is not a crime zone,” Makhurupetje said.

Source: SAnews.gov.za

SAnews.gov.za is a South African government news service, published by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). SAnews.gov.za (formerly BuaNews) was established to provide quick and easy access to articles and feature stories aimed at keeping the public informed about the implementation of government mandates.

Go to: http://www.sanews.gov.za
Let's do Biz