During the execution of Operation Shanela during the evening of Saturday 6 January 2024, members from Operational Response Services were conducting visible patrols in the Greater Kimberley.
In the vicinity of Beaconsfield, a suspicious vehicle with luggage wrapped in plastic was stopped. There were two men, one woman and four children in the vehicle. They claimed they were en-route to a bus terminal in the CBD to board a bus to Zimbabwe. The woman and four children had no documentation.
She claimed that three of the children were her biological children. The fourth child, a girl of approximately 12 years old, appeared to be nervous. She had a lighter skin complexion and the adult occupants did not provide a reasonable explanation regarding the guardianship of the child. The woman and four children (ages to be determined), believed to be Zimbabwean nationals, were detained.
And investigation will be conducted by the Department of Home Affairs and SAPS.
The bus they were alleged to be boarding was searched by SAPS.
It was determined that several documented Zimbabwean nationals were passengers bound for Zimbabwe.
Investigations continue.