Disappointed South African

To whom it may concern

I would like to document my experience at the Kosi bay border on the South African side on the 10th of January 2021.

My husband and I and my four kids and our friends and their family had planned our yearly trip to Santa Maria in Mozambique.

Our friends had gone through the South African side and had proceeded to the Mozambique side.

When we had got to the counter on the South African side, the lady as expected asked for the kids unabridged birth certificates which we produced. She stamped my passport and then continued with my husbands. She pointed out to him that he did not have an empty page in his passport although he had space to stamp. So she said by law she cannot stamp it if he doesn’t have an empty page. When asked what to do she said we must go back home.

We asked to speak to the supervisor. When he approached us , he spoke in a loud voice, he even went to switch off the aircons and said that everyone should hear him! He explained that he cannot do anything if there is no place and we pleaded for him to use the space but asked us if we want him to break the law?! Then he mentions that he has endorsed my husbands passport and has made a file with his passport copy and a reference so basically he cannot use his passport at all!

Fair enough the mistake was on our part for not having known that you need empty pages but for him to be speaking to us in such a loud voice as though we are ********* in front of my children who were already trembling from being told to go home.

Then comes in a third person who takes my husbands passport and tells us to follow him outside. He shoves the passport at my husband and tells us ‘just go home.’

We were sitting there for a while in shock as a holiday we had planned and spent so much on was now not going to happen. We were contemplating if I should go through with the kids and our friends or maybe try and stay somewhere nearby as we had travelled from the early hours in the morning and couldn’t see us going back home just yet.

Whilst our minds were busy trying to figure things out, my 1 year old needed a bottle , so I sat on the floor outside the office on the side to feed him. The third person that had basically thrown us out approached me and said ‘ u cannot be here, just go home! ‘ . At this point my tears were rolling and so were kids .

I’m sorry but even though we were wrong, I am a South African, sitting on the South African side , feeding my child ! What did he expect us to do ??? Just happily get into the car and drive away immediately ! ?

Our response was a normal human response! One of shock and dissappointment! And then to be treated by a South African authority like we were animals trespassing was rude and uncalled for! Worst of all in front of my children!

Shame on all of you that dealt with us for thinking your authority at a border post allows you to treat people how ever you see fit.

As a South African I’m so upset and angry at the whole ordeal and this matter needs to be reported.

Disappointed South African citizen