Maputo — The South African authorities on Sunday rescued 14 undocumented Mozambican minors who were being kidnapped.

According to the South African outlet "News 24', the driver of a minibus taxi was arrested at the Lebombo border post for helping to smuggle 14 children from Mozambique into South Africa.

The 14 children, aged between four and 16, were rescued and handed over to the Department of Social Development for care and support.

According to Michale Masiipato, of the South African Border Management Authority (BMA), the border guards stopped the minibus taxi, "and the driver was immediately arrested and charged with aiding and abetting illegal entry in accordance with the Immigration Act.'

"The BMA remains steadfast in its mission to combat illegal activities and protect the sovereignty of South Africa. We are now in the festive period, and our deployments have been intensified to intercept and deal with criminality in the border environment. These incidents highlight the critical role our border guards play in safeguarding vulnerable individuals and preventing the exploitation of our borders by criminal syndicates', he said.