Komatipoort, Mpumalanga – Moisés Armando Mate, a 32-year-old Mozambican national, was sentenced on Friday, 27 December 2024, after he was caught smuggling 14 Mozambican minors into South Africa. Mate was sentenced to six months in prison, with the option to pay a R6,000 fine, which was wholly suspended for three years, on the condition that he does not commit a similar offense or assist anyone in unlawfully entering, remaining, or departing South Africa during that period.
The conviction stems from an incident on 6 December 2024, when Mate was arrested in Komatipoort after he illegally transported 14 girls, aged between 4 and 16, into the country. The girls were found in a minibus that was stopped by members of the Border Management Authority on the N4 near a local filling station.
Mate, along with the minors, was handed over to Komatipoort SAPS, where a case of aiding and abetting was registered. The minors were placed under the care of the Department of Social Development for assessment before being returned to Mozambique.
The case was subsequently referred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for further investigation. Mate made several court appearances before pleading guilty to the charges on 27 December.
The sentence has been welcomed by Major General Nico Gerber, the Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the DPCI, who emphasized the serious implications of such offenses. “Aiding and abetting people to illegally enter, depart, or remain in the Republic undermines both the country’s laws and human dignity,” said Gerber.
