The Department of Home Affairs has clarified that a Zimbabwean woman who died after collapsing at the Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo on Tuesday was not part of the government's repatriation programme for undocumented migrants.
The department's Chief Director, Albert Matsaung, said the woman had been travelling on a commercial bus from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal and was not being transported through the official repatriation process.
Matsaung made the remarks while addressing the media at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Centre, where the processing of undocumented migrants continues.
He explained that the bus the woman was travelling on was one of several commercial transport services that operate regular cross-border routes and was not affiliated with the repatriation centre.
"I must confirm that the bus is not linked to the repatriation centre. There are buses that continue to travel to Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries, transporting people from different provinces. The information we have received indicates that the deceased was travelling from Pietermaritzburg," Matsaung said.
He added that the woman's relatives were travelling with her on the bus at the time of the incident.
The Department of Home Affairs continues to oversee the processing and repatriation of undocumented migrants through the Musina Temporary Repatriation Centre, while investigations into the woman's death are expected to continue.