Angolans die trying to enter SA

An attempt by 13 Angolans to enter South Africa by swimming across the Orange River near Namibia’s southern border town of Noordoewer ended in tragedy with eight of the men drowning, ‘The Namibian’ said on Wednesday.

Police spokesman Chief Inspector Hophni Hamufungu said the drowning took place on 1 December at a farm at Noupoort near Noordoewer. The incident occurred after the Angolans sought to cross into South Africa through the border post at Noordoewer but were unable to do so because they did not have visas. The Angolans initially wanted to go to South Africa via the official border post but Namibian immigration officials advised them to return to Windhoek to get visas, but they apparently ignored this request and managed to sneak into South Africa where their illegal presence was detected.

Namibian immigration officials detained one of the Angolans because he did not have valid documentation and was in the country illegally. The other 13 were again told to travel to Windhoek or to Luanda to obtain visas for South Africa. Instead of heeding this advice they paid a Namibian at Noordoewer to ferry them across the river.