The Zimbabwean government has denied reports that 443 children headed to South Africa were intercepted and returned to Zimbabwe last weekend.
The South African Border Management Authority had earlier said that the children aged below eight years were unaccompanied, and were victims of "trafficking into South Africa."
The agency's head, Michael Masiapato, said the minors were being transported in buses.
"We were able to take them out of those buses. We were then able to engage with the Zimbabwean officials, and we handed them back to Zimbabwe for processing," Masiapato said on Sunday.
'Concerning' reports
The Zimbabwean labour ministry, however, denies the "concerning" reports.
"The two border authorities on both the Zimbabwean and South African side have not received any official communication or confirmation on the alleged (interception and repatriation of) 443 children as reported in some publications," Labour Minister July Moyo said in a statement on Monday.
Zimbabwe, however, confirmed that between November 25 and December 3 it had "received a total of 124 children (71 males and 53 males) who were intercepted and handed over to the Department of Immigration."
Moyo said 101 minors were successfully traced and reunited with their families.
'Heinous' offence
Twenty-three of the remaining children, who were being held at the Beltbridge border post in southern Zimbabwe, were "awaiting family tracing," the minister said.
According to the government, a majority of the children were from Bulawayo Metropolitan Province and Matabeleland South Province.
Moyo said the intercepted minors were crossing into South Africa without travel documents or being accompanied by guardians.
The minister added that the government was "working with the Zimbabwe police to find out perpetrators of this heinous offence."
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