The South African authorities have stopped 40 Mozambicans from entering the country illegally, at a time when many people are returning after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

"We have already received a total of 40 Mozambicans who tried to enter South Africa by fraudulent means, not using the official border," said Armando Mata, head of the Ressano Garcia border post in Maputo, quoted yesterday by Rádio Moçambique.

They are 24 men and 16 women, aged between 23 and 54, who "were returned to the country" through Ressano Garcia, the largest border between Mozambique and South Africa.

Armando Mata urged citizens to legalize their documents so that they "don't have any problems" during their trips to that country, saying that there is coordinated work between the South African and Mozambican border police to curb illegal immigration.

According to the source, at least 7,000 people crossed the border from Ressano Garcia into South Africa yesterday.