Apart from being deported, they were also banned from entering into SA for a period of one year as they were declared undesired immigrants for having crossed into that country illegally.
The deportees who all hail from Somntongo, an area next to the southern border were reported to have been detained in an SA prison since December 29, 2018 while the South African government was making plans to transport them to eSwatini, something which finally happened on Wednesday.
SA media reports had stated in December that this group had crossed over to SA using an informal crossing point, with the intention to spend the rest of the festive holidays with their relatives who reside
on the other side of the border.
Acting Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Israel Simelane issued a warning to people to always utilise official border posts when travelling to another country.