Department of social development set to repatriate 27 Mozambican teens

Undocumented children emerged from Stilfontein abandoned mines

The North West department of social development is to repatriate 27 undocumented Mozambican teenagers back to their country today after they resurfaced from abandoned mines in Stilfontein more than a month ago.

The teenagers who were involved in illegal mining activities at Stilfontein and Matlosana, Klerksdorp, are believed to have been trafficked into SA.

Spokesperson of social development in North West Petrus Siko said 15 of them were found by the police in Matlosana while 12 others resurfaced from the abandoned mines and were placed in a temporary safe care in Mahikeng for two weeks.

He said their placement in temporary safe care by the department was in line with the provisions of the Children's Act which mandate social workers or police officials to remove a child who is in danger and place them in a temporary safe care.

“On Tuesday, the social workers managing the case set out to repatriate the children to Lebombo border with a police escort. This after they got permission from the court to release them from their place of safety and allow them to repatriate them and hand them over to their counterparts in Mozambique, who will then reunify the children with their parents. 

This was made possible after the Mozambican Consulate issued them with temporary travel documents and allowed a care-to-care process between the social development departments in the two countries.Petrus Siko

“This was made possible after the Mozambican Consulate issued them with temporary travel documents and allowed a care-to-care process between the social development departments in the two countries. This was facilitated by the department of social development and international social workers services,” said Siko.

MEC for social development Sussana Dantjie thanked her department for arranging temporary safe care for the children and “also working around the clock to repatriate the children to their original country”.

“We thank all the stakeholders who came forward and played a critical role in ensuring that these children receive the necessary care and protection. We also thank the Mozambican Consulate for speeding up the process of repatriation,” she said.

According to Dantjie, her department is ready to provide similar services to other children who may resurface from the old gold mines in Stilfontein.

SowetanLIVE