Law enforcement in Mozambique intercepted at least 24 Malawians who were traveling without proper documentation on two buses headed to South Africa.
The buses belonged to a South African and a Zambian company, respectively, and had entered Mozambique through the Dedza border post.
The Malawi Consulate General in Tete, Mozambique, Happy Madika Sakah, confirmed that the interception took place in Tete Province on Sunday.
The Malawian travelers were apprehended with the assistance of Mozambican police at a roadblock on the Zambezi River, and were subsequently handed over to Mozambican police and immigration officials for repatriation to Malawi.
Out of the 24 individuals intercepted, 21 had admitted to bribing immigration officials and police officers at the Dedza border post in order to gain entry into Mozambique.
The Malawi envoy has cautioned Malawians traveling abroad to ensure they have the correct documentation, as failure to do so could lead to legal consequences and deportation. Due to high unemployment rates in Malawi, many Malawians travel to South Africa daily in search of work.
