The group stayed in their buses at the border until authorities could come to a decision whether they had to return to Mozambique or be allowed to visit South Africa.
Trans African Concessions (TRAC N4) was ordered by the South African Police Services (SAPS) on Sunday morning to stop four 25-seater buses with foreign nationals at the Machado Toll Plaza outside eNtokozweni, Mpumalanga, until members from the Nelspruit and White River Flying Squad arrived to escort them back to Lebombo Border Post.
This was confirmed by Solange Soares, spokesperson of TRAC N4, reports Lowvelder.
TRAC N4 manages the N4 toll-route starting from the Solomon Mahlangu off ramp in Tshwane, Gauteng, to the Maputo Port in Mozambique.
Rumours that the group landed at OR Tambo International earlier, where they were denied entry into the country, and then boarded a plane to Maputo International Airport, where they travelled by bus to South Africa, could not be confirmed.
The buses were escorted by members of the police and briefly stopped next to the road near Malelane where refreshments were delivered to them.
Editor of Lowvelder newspaper in Mbombela, Tarina Coetzee, followed the convoy and said confusion started when some of the Japanese nationals brought it to the attention of the police that Japan was not on the list of countries banned from entering South Africa. They demanded to be released.
The convoy arrived at the border at 4.20pm, where further confusion unfolded.
An official at the Lebombo Border Gate confirmed that the group entered the country through that gate at around 9am on Sunday morning, and that they did go through passport control.
“They are in the country legally and we do not understand why they were brought back here,” the official said.
A group of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members, who were waiting for the group of foreign nationals at the Lebombo Gate, said they received information about the group who entered the country on Sunday morning and alerted authorities. At the time, it was believed that it may be Chinese tourists.
The group stayed in their buses at the border until authorities could come to a decision whether they had to return to Mozambique or be allowed to visit South Africa.
The national broadcaster in Japan, NHK, announced on Sunday they had 1,055 cases of domestically transmitted cases of coronavirus, which was up 40 from Saturday.
The number passed the 1,000 mark on Saturday as the nation battles to avoid a health crisis ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The official national tally does not include the 712 cases of infections from a cruise ship moored near Tokyo last month.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as the fate of the group is clarified by authorities.
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