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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
TEN immigrants, seven South Africans, two Mozambicans and one from Lesotho, were yesterday fined R2,000 each by a Beitbridge magistrate for illegally extending their stay in the country by 30 days. The group is employed by Delmon Mining and Civils (Pvt) Ltd in Johannesburg, South Africa, and had been contracted to do some mining work by Zimplats about two months ago.

Paulos Lehlohonolo, 31, Dumse Marambeni, 63, Leonard Tembe Fishi ,61, Joshua Teboho Hlacwayo, 29, Happy Mnisi, 38, Lefophane Mpolaene, 29, and Duncan Sizani Ndlovu, 43, all from South Africa; Jose Joachim, 49, and Fernando Miguel, 50, both Mozambicans and Michael Sinyepa Motaba, 44, of Lesotho were all convicted on their own plea of guilty to overstaying in Zimbabwe by magistrate Gloria Takundwa.

She sentenced the group to one month imprisonment with an option of a fine.
Prosecuting, Jabulani Mberesi told how on May 18 this year, the 10 men entered the country through Beitbridge Border Post and were allowed to stay for 30 days, which expired on June 17.

He said on the following day the accused persons acting in connivance with Sibonelo Jerome Khumalo who is being charged separately, engaged one Shelton Jera, Farai Matowanyika, Albert Hoko, Jones Gery and Khadif Choeni who endorsed a fake immigration date stamp in their passports and fraudulently extended their stay in Zimbabwe up to July 18.

The court further heard that after the illegal extension, the group remained in the country until their arrest on July 15 when they were about to leave the country for South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post.

Mberesi said the fake date stamp was noticed by an alert immigration officer who then alerted the police border control unit.
The accused persons were subsequently arrested and implicated Khumalo, Matowanyika, Hoko, Gery and Choeni during police interrogations.