A bus carrying 55 passengers from Zimbabwe to Cape Town has been intercepted in the Free State, the third such incident this month. It held 29 undocumented individuals, including seven minors, while 26 were documented. The vehicle was diverted to a testing centre due to safety defects and an unlicensed driver.
Authorities in the Free State intercepted a bus ferrying 55 passengers from Zimbabwe to Cape Town, marking the third interception of foreign national buses in the province since early April.
The bus carried 29 undocumented individuals, including seven minors, and 26 documented passengers. It was taken off the road and diverted to the Lengau Testing Centre in Bloemfontein.
Inspectors found a non-functional door on the bus, posing a serious safety hazard for emergencies. The attached trailer had defective brakes and worn tyres. The driver lacked a valid driving licence and was using a passport instead.
This follows earlier incidents. On the day before Good Friday, 32 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals, including children and infants, were detained after their bus was stopped on the N1 near Bloemfontein. Separately, ten of 16 undocumented Zimbabweans arrested on the N1 appeared in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.