Fake Covid-19 tests at Limpopo and Mpumalanga border posts compound challenges
The news comes as Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi began a tour of the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, Limpopo, to assess the situation there.
Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has confirmed 17 incidents of people trying to enter South Africa from Zimbabwe with negative, but false coronavirus certificates.
Ramathuba said strict border controls are in place, warning that people trying to enter South Africa with false coronavirus test results will be arrested.
The MEC said some of the people are submitting blood tests and passing it off as a coronavirus test.
Border authorities clamping down
This as Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini also raised concerns that some people are presenting fraudulent COVID-19 certificates to cross over from Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland.
Manzini was speaking during a tour to the Oshoek Border Post to assess compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
“Now we are told that there are fraudulent tests that are coming here, but we are happy that we have SAPS. The people are arrested. So, be warned that you get a test from a lab that is accredited to do those tests because there are a way and system in place to pick it up.”
Oshoek Border Post is one of the busiest ports of entry during the festive season, and border authorities had their hands full focusing on crime-related matters as well as ensuring that travellers comply with COVID-19 regulations.
Despite concerns over the fraudulent Covid-19 certificates, Manzini expressed satisfaction with the work done by the officials at the border post so far.
Oshoek Border Post Manager, Life Mokoena, says about 15 people were arrested for presenting fake COVID-19 certificates, adding that most of the culprits were coming from Eswatini.
“What we did, we took all of them and handed them over to the Royal Eswatini police so that they can assist in investigating as to where actually these results were manufactured in Eswatini. But all of them were arrested.”
“The other challenge that we experience is the challenge of people who are coming with positive test results to the port of entry and start walking around the port of entry resulting to the port of entry having to be closed which actually disturbs the entire operation.”