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Zimbabwe children to be repatriated – ruling

Publish date: 12 March 2018
Issue Number: 765
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: General

Eight Zimbabwean children who were found by police in Rustenburg in November last year will be repatriated to Zimbabwe, the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) ruled last week, says a News24 report. According to the Department of Social Development, Judge Bill Prinsloo said he could not fathom how parents could allow their children to travel with strangers, in a truck, from Beitbridge to Cape Town. Prinsloo said that he doubted that their parents acted in the best interests of the children. The children, between the ages of two and 14 years, are in the care and protection of the department. The driver of the truck they were travelling in when they were found by police was in possession of 15 passports – none of which belonged to the minors in transit. An application for an interdict for the children be released into their care was applied for by eight adults who claimed to be the parents of the children. However, they could not provide proof that they are indeed the children's parents or primary caregivers. In terms of section 290 of the Children's Act, there is a need to ascertain where the children will be released to. In this instance, the children will be released to the care and safety of the government of Zimbabwe, according to the department.

Full Fin24 report

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