RETURNEES coming through the Plumtree and Beitbridge Border
Posts have been supplying authorities with false information in order to dodge
officials and sneak back into the neighbouring countries.
Some returnees that are being deported from South Africa
and Botswana have been claiming to be from Matabeleland South Province so that
they are not transferred to their provinces in order to have easy access back
into the neighbouring countries. This has made it difficult for authorities to
follow up on some returnees that escape from quarantine centres.
Returnees that are coming in through the Plumtree and
Beitbridge Post are taken to quarantine centres in the province where they are
tested for Covid-19. Those with results that come out positive are placed under
isolation. Returnees that are from other provinces are then transferred to
their respective provinces.
In an interview, Matabeleland South provincial social
welfare officer Mr Criswell Nyakudya said they have since engaged the Registry
Department in order to verify details given by returnees.
“A number of returnees have proved to be untrustworthy as
they have been providing us with false addresses. There are some who claim to
have lost their National Identity cards and then give us fake ID numbers,
addresses and names and claim to be from Matabeleland South Province. We have
been experiencing this mostly with those returnees that would have been
deported and not those coming back voluntarily.
“After the returnees have completed their quarantine period
they are transported to their respective provinces. Those who pretend to be
from Mat South will be doing so in order to avoid being transported to their
provinces so they can remain in Matabeleland South where they have easy access
back to Botswana and South Africa,” he said.
Mr Nyakudya added: “As a result we roped in the Registry
Department which is now checking particulars of returnees. If a returnee
doesn’t have an ID and they supply our officers with an ID number and place of
origin the officers from the Registry Department can confirm whether that
particular ID number matches the district of origin.
“Every returnee that says is from Matabeleland South is now
subject to this screening in order to avoid such incidences.”
Mr Nyakudya said it was difficult to make a follow up on
returnees that escaped from quarantine centres when they provided false
information.
Matabeleland South provincial medical director, Dr Rudo
Chikodzore said the Ministry of Health and Child Care had rolled out an
electronic record system in the province to facilitate capturing information of
returnees. She said the information will come in handy in the planning process
and aligning resources. She said they were in the process of training
quarantine and isolation teams in various districts on how to use the system.
“In the long run we will have it linked to other systems to
ensure it’s authentic. The main advantage is that this system will reduce the
load of paper work and duplication of information. Some of the information is
recorded at the point of entry and is also recorded at the quarantine and
isolation centres.
“So, if a person’s details are entered at the point of
entry their particulars can be accessed nationwide through our system as the
Ministry of Health. This information will be updated in real time as the
returnees come in. This will make it is easy to do follow ups. It will also
improve our efficiency,” she said. Chronicle
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