January 4, 2022

NetSfere Appointed to NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Framework to Advance the Digitization of Healthcare in the UK

NetSfere won a place on the £250m NHS SBS Patient/Citizen Communication & Engagement Solutions Framework through which all NHS organizations can access communication platforms

CHICAGO, Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NetSfere, a global provider of next-generation secure and compliant messaging and mobility solutions, has been named an approved communication supplier on NHS Shared Business Service’s (NHS SBS) Patient/Citizen Communication & Engagement Solutions Framework, under which NHS organizations and the public sector in the UK can contract services.

Through the £250m framework designed to enhance interactions with patients and advance the digitization of the United Kingdom’s healthcare system, all NHS organizations have access to NetSfere’s portfolio of products.

The framework aims to provide a simple, effective, efficient, and compliant route to market for the supply of communication methods to engage with patients, citizens and the workforce across NHS organizations and wider public sector bodies.

“Helping healthcare organizations streamline communications in a secure and efficient method has been a primary focus of NetSfere,” said Franz Obermayer, NetSfere’s Vice President UK & Europe. “As part of the Patient/Citizen Communications & Engagement Solutions Framework, NetSfere’s platforms are available to support NHS organizations’ needs for digital tools on a massive scale as the healthcare system looks to improve clinical efficiency and safety to increase patient satisfaction and address concerns that arose from the pandemic.”

Providing NHS organizations multiple avenues to streamline internal and external communications, the NetSfere platform is the leading enterprise mobile messaging service that provides all preferred means of communication – text, video, and voice – all in one encrypted platform. With omnichannel and emergency alert capabilities, NetSfere’s portfolio offers the most holistic, secure, all-in-one communication solution on the market.

“The coronavirus pandemic has added to the complexity of patient appointments and waiting lists,” said Adam Nickerson, Senior Category Manager of Digital and IT at NHS Shared Business Services. “Our Patient/Citizen Communications & Engagement Solutions Framework is designed to respond to the need within the NHS for better pre- and post-appointment communications, to reduce the backlog of urgent appointments and improve the patient journey, pathway and care.”

Addressing the need for compliant and efficient internal communication methods, NetSfere Enterprise features solutions that empower employees with powerful, enterprise-class messaging technology, eliminating the need to use risky, consumer-grade messaging apps. Created with end-to-end encryption and full IT control, the platform is compliant with global regulations and provides enterprises with a private, highly secure, reliable centrally managed and controlled, cloud-based messaging service.

On the patient communication side, NetSfere Omnichannel enables digital customer engagement from a single platform with multi-channels to orchestrate the customer communication journey, including 1-way and 2-way SMS, MMS and RCS messaging, push notifications, voice, email, and social media messaging. The platform provides key benefits like intelligent routing and cost optimization, content management, number validation for increased open rates, full enterprise admin controls, rich analytics, and data archiving. The platform protects medical staff and patients with the highest level of security and meets all regulatory compliance standards including HIPAA, GDPR and PCI DSS.

NHS organizations can also implement NetSfere Lifeline through the framework. The solution allows enterprises to send high priority, critical messaging for targeted teams or an entire organization to disperse emergency information in an attention-grabbing manner. Messages can include text, images, or locations, ensuring that all essential information can be shared quickly in critical situations.

As one of the selected suppliers, NetSfere’s solutions were accepted across five lots: Digital (Online) Communication, Email, SMS, Workforce Communication, and All-in-One Solutions.
For more information on NetSfere’s portfolio of products, visit www.netsfere.com.

About NetSfere
NetSfere is a secure enterprise messaging service and platform from Infinite Convergence Solutions, Inc. NetSfere provides industry-leading security and message delivery capabilities, including global cloud-based service availability, device-to-device encryption, location-based features and administrative controls. The service is also offered in partnership with Deutsche Telekom GmbH, one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies, and with NTT Ltd., a global information communications & technology service provider, to jointly offer NetSfere to its worldwide customers. The service leverages Infinite Convergence’s experience in delivering mobility solutions to tier 1 mobile operators globally and technology that supports more than 400 million subscribers and over a trillion messages on an annual basis. NetSfere is also compliant with global regulatory requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001 and others. Infinite Convergence Solutions has offices in the United States, Germany, India and Singapore. For more information, visit www.netsfere.com.

About NHS Shared Business Services
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was created in 2004 by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital services and software development, it makes life easier for NHS employees, patients and suppliers, and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.

Proud members of the NHS family, NHS SBS provides finance & accounting, procurement and workforce services to more than half the NHS in England. Sharing common values and unity of purpose with the rest of the NHS family, its solutions are underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and the teams’ expertise, in-depth understanding of the NHS, and commitment to service excellence.

Media Contact
Rachel Gunia
Uproar PR for NetSfere
312-878-4575 x246
rgunia@uproarpr.com

January 4, 2022

NetSfere a été nommée au sein du NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Framework pour faire progresser la numérisation des soins de santé au Royaume-Uni

NetSfere a remporté une place dans le cadre de solutions de communication et d’engagement des patients et des citoyens SBS du NHS de 250 millions de livres sterling grâce auquel toutes les organisations du NHS peuvent accéder aux plateformes de communication

CHICAGO, 04 janv. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NetSfere, un fournisseur mondial de solutions de messagerie et de mobilité sécurisées et conformes de nouvelle génération, a été nommé fournisseur de communications agréé dans le cadre des solutions de communication et d’engagement des patients et des citoyens du NHS Shared Business Service (NHS SBS), en vertu duquel les organisations NHS et le secteur public peuvent sous-traiter des services au Royaume-Uni.

Grâce au cadre de 250 millions de livres sterling conçu pour améliorer les interactions avec les patients et faire progresser la numérisation du système de santé du Royaume-Uni, toutes les organisations NHS ont accès au portefeuille de produits de NetSfere.

Le cadre vise à fournir une voie d’accès au marché simple, efficace, efficiente et conforme pour la fourniture de méthodes de communication permettant de dialoguer avec les patients, les citoyens et les collaborateurs dans les organisations du NHS et les organismes du secteur public au sens large.

« Aider les organisations de soins de santé à rationaliser les communications de manière sécurisée et efficace a été l’un des principaux objectifs de NetSfere », a déclaré Franz Obermayer, vice-président de NetSfere pour le Royaume-Uni et l’Europe. « Au sein du cadre des solutions de communication et d’engagement patient/citoyen, les plateformes de NetSfere sont disponibles pour répondre aux besoins des organisations du NHS en outils numériques à grande échelle, alors que le système de santé cherche à améliorer l’efficacité et la sécurité cliniques pour augmenter la satisfaction des patients et répondre aux préoccupations qui est sont nées de la pandémie. »

Fournissant aux organisations NHS de multiples voies pour rationaliser les communications internes et externes, la plateforme NetSfere est le premier service de messagerie mobile d’entreprise qui fournit tous les moyens de communication préférés – texte, vidéo et voix – le tout sur une seule plateforme cryptée. Avec ses capacités d’alerte omnicanal et d’urgence, le portefeuille de NetSfere offre la solution de communication tout-en-un la plus holistique, la plus sécurisée du marché.

« La pandémie de coronavirus a accru la complexité des rendez-vous des patients et des listes d’attente », a déclaré Adam Nickerson, responsable principal de la catégorie numérique et informatique chez NHS Shared Business Service. « Notre cadre de solutions de communication et d’engagement des patients/citoyens est conçue pour répondre au besoin au sein du NHS d’améliorer les communications avant et après les rendez-vous, afin de réduire le retard de rendez-vous urgents et d’améliorer l’expérience du patient, son parcours et ses soins.

Répondant au besoin de méthodes de communication internes conformes et efficaces, NetSfere Enterprise propose des solutions qui permettent aux collaborateurs de disposer d’une puissante technologie de messagerie de classe entreprise, éliminant ainsi le besoin d’utiliser des applications de messagerie grand public à risque. Créée avec un cryptage de bout en bout et un contrôle informatique complet, la plateforme est conforme aux réglementations mondiales et fournit aux entreprises un service de messagerie privé, hautement sécurisé, fiable, géré et contrôlé de manière centralisée et basé sur le cloud.

Du côté de la communication avec les patients, NetSfere Omnichannel permet l’engagement numérique des clients à partir d’une plateforme unique avec plusieurs canaux pour orchestrer le parcours de communication client, y compris les SMS unidirectionnels et bidirectionnels, les messages MMS et RCS, les notifications push, les notifications vocales, les e-mails et la messagerie sur les réseaux sociaux. La plateforme offre des avantages clés tels que le routage intelligent et l’optimisation des coûts, la gestion de contenu, la validation des numéros pour des taux d’ouverture accrus, des contrôles administratifs complets d’entreprise, des analyses riches et l’archivage de données. La plateforme protège le personnel médical et les patients avec un très haut niveau de sécurité et répond à toutes les normes de conformité réglementaire, notamment HIPAA, RGPD et PCI DSS.

Les organisations NHS peuvent également mettre en œuvre NetSfere Lifelinevia le cadre. La solution permet aux entreprises d’envoyer des messages hautement prioritaires et critiques aux équipes ciblées ou à toute une organisation pour qu’elles diffusent les informations d’urgence de manière à attirer l’attention. Les messages peuvent inclure du texte, des images ou des emplacements, garantissant que toutes les informations essentielles peuvent être partagées rapidement dans des situations critiques.

En tant que l’un des fournisseurs sélectionnés, les solutions de NetSfere ont été acceptées dans cinq lots : la communication numérique (en ligne), les e-mails, les SMS, la communication avec les collaborateurs et les solutions tout-en-un.
Pour tout complément d’information sur le portefeuille de produits de NetSfere, veuillez  consulter le sitewww.netsfere.com.

À propos de NetSfere
NetSfere est une plateforme sécurisée de services de messagerie d’entreprise d’Infinite Convergence Solutions, Inc.NetSfere fournit des capacités de diffusion de messages et de sécurité de premier plan dans l’industrie, comprenant le chiffrement d’un appareil à l’autre, des fonctions basées sur la localisation, des contrôles administratifs et la disponibilité de services basés dans le cloud à l’échelle mondiale. Ce service est également fourni en partenariat avec Deutsche Telekom GmbH, l’une des sociétés de télécommunications intégrées les plus importantes dans le monde, et avec NTT Ltd., un fournisseur mondial de services technologiques et de communication d’informations, afin de proposer conjointement NetSfere à ses clients à travers le monde. Ce service tire parti de l’expérience d’Infinite Convergence, qui fournit des solutions de mobilité aux opérateurs mobiles de niveau 1 à l’échelle mondiale ainsi que des technologies prenant en charge plus de 400 millions d’abonnés et plus d’un billion de messages chaque année. NetSfere est également conforme aux exigences réglementaires mondiales, notamment le RGPD, la loi HIPAA, la loi Sarbanes-Oxley, la norme ISO 27001 et d’autres réglementations.Infinite Convergence Solutions compte des bureaux aux États-Unis, en Allemagne, en Inde et à Singapour. Pour tout complément d’informations, rendez-vous sur  www.netsfere.com.

À propos de NHS Shared Business Services
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS Shared Business services) a été créé en 2004 par le département de la santé et de la protection sociale (DHSC) pour fournir des services d’entreprise au NHS. Une coentreprise unique avec Sopra Steria, un leader européen des services numériques et du développement de logiciels, facilite la vie des collaborateurs, des patients et des fournisseurs du NHS et offre un rapport qualité-prix au contribuable.

Fier membre de la famille NHS, NHS SBS fournit des services de finance et de comptabilité, d’approvisionnement et de mise à disposition de collaborateurs à plus de la moitié du NHS en Angleterre. Partageant des valeurs communes et une unité d’objectifs avec le reste de la famille NHS, ses solutions s’appuient sur des technologies de pointe et l’expertise des équipes, une compréhension approfondie du NHS et un engagement envers l’excellence des services.

Contact auprès des médias
Rachel Gunia
Uproar PR pour NetSfere
312-878-4575 x246
rgunia@uproarpr.com

January 4, 2022

NetSfere Nomeada para a NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) para Avançar a Digitalização de Cuidados de Saúde do Reino Unido

A NetSfere conquistou um lugar da Estrutura de Soluções de Comunicação e Engajamento para Pacientes/Cidadãos do NHS SBS de £ 250 milhões, através do qual todas as organizações do NHS podem acessar plataformas de comunicação

CHICAGO, Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A NetSfere, fornecedora global de soluções de mensagens e de mobilidade seguras e compatíveis de última geração, foi nomeada fornecedora de comunicação aprovada da Estrutura de Soluções de Comunicação e Engajamento para Pacientes/Cidadãos do NHS Shared Business Service (NHS SBS), sob a qual as organizações do NHS e o setor público do Reino Unido podem contratar serviços.

Através da estrutura de £ 250 milhões projetada para melhorar as interações com os pacientes e promover a digitalização do sistema de saúde do Reino Unido, todas as organizações do NHS têm acesso ao portfólio de produtos da NetSfere.

A estrutura visa fornecer uma rota simples, eficaz, eficiente e compatível com o mercado para o fornecimento de métodos de comunicação para o engajamento com pacientes, cidadãos e força de trabalho em todas as organizações do NHS e órgãos mais amplos do setor público.

“O foco principal da NetSfere tem sido ajudar as organizações de saúde a simplificar as comunicações de forma segura e eficiente”, disse Franz Obermayer, vice-presidente da NetSfere no Reino Unido e na Europa. “Como parte da Estrutura de Soluções de Comunicações e Engajamento do Paciente/Cidadão, as plataformas da NetSfere estão disponíveis para apoiar as necessidades das organizações do NHS de ferramentas digitais em grande escala, à medida que o sistema de saúde procura melhorar a eficiência e a segurança clínica para aumentar a satisfação do paciente e abordar as preocupações que surgiram com a pandemia.”

Com o fornecimento de várias formas de agilizar as comunicações internas e externas às organizações do NHS, a plataforma NetSfere é o principal serviço de mensagens móveis corporativas que fornece todos os meios preferidos de comunicação – texto, vídeo e voz – em uma plataforma criptografada. Com recursos de alerta de emergência e omnicanal, o portfólio da NetSfere oferece a solução de comunicação mais holística, segura e completa do mercado.

“A pandemia do coronavírus aumentou a complexidade das listas de consultas e de espera dos pacientes”, disse Adam Nickerson, Gerente Sênior de Categoria de Digital e TI do NHS Shared Business Services. “Nossa Estrutura de Soluções de Comunicações e Engajamento do Paciente/Cidadão foi projetada para responder à necessidade dentro do NHS de melhores comunicações pré e pós-agendamento, para reduzir o atraso de consultas urgentes e melhorar a jornada, o caminho e os cuidados do paciente.”

Abordando a necessidade de métodos de comunicação interna compatíveis e eficientes, a NetSfere Enterprise apresenta soluções que capacitam os funcionários com tecnologia potente de mensagens de classe empresarial, eliminando a necessidade do uso de aplicativos de mensagens arriscados e de nível do consumidor. Criada com criptografia e controle completo de TI, a plataforma está em conformidade com os regulamentos globais e fornece às empresas um serviço de mensagens privado, altamente seguro, confiável, gerenciado e controlado centralmente, com base na nuvem.

No lado da comunicação com o paciente, a NetSfere Omnichannel permite o envolvimento digital do cliente a partir de uma única plataforma com multicanais para orquestrar a jornada de comunicação do cliente, incluindo mensagens SMS, MMS e RCS unidirecionais e bidirecionais, notificações push, voz, e-mail e mensagens de rede social. A plataforma oferece benefícios importantes, como roteamento inteligente e otimização de custos, gerenciamento de conteúdo, validação de números para taxas de abertura aumentadas, controles completos de administração empresarial, análises avançadas e arquivamento de dados. A plataforma protege a equipe médica e os pacientes com o mais alto nível de segurança e atende a todos os padrões de conformidade regulatória, incluindo HIPAA, GDPR e PCI DSS.

As organizações do NHS também podem implementar a NetSfere Lifeline através da estrutura. A solução permite que as empresas enviem mensagens críticas de alta prioridade para as equipes-alvo ou para toda a empresa para disseminar as informações de emergência de maneira chamativa. As mensagens podem incluir texto, imagens ou locais, garantindo que todas as informações essenciais possam ser compartilhadas rapidamente em situações críticas.

Como um dos fornecedores selecionados, as soluções da NetSfere foram aceitas em cinco lotes: Comunicação digital (online), E-mail, SMS, Comunicação da força de trabalho e Soluções multifuncionais integrais.
Para obter mais informações sobre o portfólio de produtos da NetSfere, visite www.netsfere.com.

Sobre a NetSfere
A NetSfere é um serviço e plataforma de mensagens corporativas seguras da Infinite Convergence Solutions, Inc. A NetSfere fornece recursos de segurança e entrega de mensagens líderes do setor, incluindo disponibilidade de serviços globais com base na nuvem, criptografia dispositivo a dispositivo, recursos com base na localização, e controles administrativos. O serviço também é oferecido globalmente em parceria com a Deutsche Telekom GmbH, uma das principais empresas de telecomunicações integradas do mundo, e com a NTT Ltd., uma provedora global de serviços de comunicação e tecnologia da informação, para oferecer conjuntamente a NetSfere aos seus clientes em todo o mundo. O serviço aproveita a experiência da Infinite Convergence na entrega de soluções de mobilidade para operadores móveis de nível 1 e tecnologia em todo o mundo que dá suporte a mais de 400 milhões de assinantes e mais de um trilhão de mensagens anualmente. A NetSfere também está em conformidade com os requisitos regulatórios globais, incluindo GDPR, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001 e outros. A Infinite Convergence Solutions tem escritórios nos Estados Unidos, Alemanha, Índia e Cingapura. Para mais informação, visite www.netsfere.com.

Sobre o NHS Shared Business Services
O NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) foi criado em 2004 pelo Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) para fornecer serviços corporativos ao NHS. Uma joint venture única com a Sopra Steria, líder europeia em serviços digitais e desenvolvimento de software, facilita a vida dos funcionários, pacientes e fornecedores do NHS e oferece valor ao contribuinte.

Membro orgulhoso da família do NHS, o NHS SBS fornece serviços de finanças e contabilidade, compras e força de trabalho para mais da metade do NHS da Inglaterra. Compartilhando valores e unidades comuns de propósito com o resto da família do NHS, suas soluções são sustentadas por tecnologias de ponta e pela experiência das equipes, compreensão profunda do NHS e compromisso com a excelência do serviço.

Contato com a Mídia
Rachel Gunia
Uproar PR em nome da NetSfere
312-878-4575 x246
rgunia@uproarpr.com

January 4, 2022

‫CCTV+: شي يقود الصين نحو تنفيذ تنمية أكثر حفاظًا على البيئة بخطوات راسخة

بكين، 4 يناير 2022 / PRNewswire / — بناءً على توجيه من الرئيس شي جين بينغ، اتخذت الصين خطوات راسخة نحو تنفيذ تنمية اقتصادية واجتماعية أكثر حفاظًا على البيئة في جميع الجوانب بالإضافة إلى متابعة التحديث الذي يتميز بالتناغم بين الإنسان والطبيعة خلال السنة الأولى من فترة الخطة الخمسية الرابعة عشرة (2021-2025) للتنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية الوطنية.

كان قطيع الأفيال الآسيوية الذي عاد إلى موطنه المناسب وسط مرافقين من البشر بعد أكثر من 110 يومًا من التجول في مقاطعة يونان بجنوب غرب الصين في معظم أوقات عام 2021 مجرد مثالاً على جهود الصين في الحماية البيئية.

صرّح شي أثناء إلقائه الكلمة الرئيسية عبر رابط الفيديو خلال قمة القادة بالاجتماع الخامس عشر بمؤتمر الأطراف في اتفاقية التنوع البيولوجي ( COP15 ) المُنعقد في مدينة كونمينغ بمقاطعة يونان في 12 أكتوبر 2021 “تُظهر قصة التنقل باتجاه الشمال وعودة قطيع من الأفيال في مقاطعة يونان بجنوب غرب الصين النتائج القوية لمساعينا لحماية الحيوانات البرية. وستواصل الصين دفع التقدم البيئي، بالإضافة إلى الالتزام بتنفيذ فلسفة التنمية الجديدة التي تؤكد على التنمية المبتكرة والمنسقة والخضراء والمفتوحة للجميع، فضلاً عن إضفاء طابع الجمال على الصين”.

كمّا دعا شي خلال القيمة إلى بذل جهود مشتركة لإقامة مجتمع يضم جميع أشكال الحياة على كوكب الأرض، وتوفير عالمًا نظيفًا ورائعًا للجميع.

كمّا أصدر شي خلال جولاته التفقدية في جميع أنحاء الصين في عام 2021 تعليمات لتوجيه التنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية الأكثر حفاظًا على البيئة لثاني أكبر اقتصاد في العالم.

في إطار الجهود المبذولة للتصدي لتغير المناخ، والذي يُعد أحد التحديات المشتركة التي تواجهها البشرية، قدّم شي التزامًا رسميًا بأن تتضع الصين هدفًا نحو تحقيق ذروتها في انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون بحلول عام 2030 وتحقيق الحياد الكربوني بحلول عام 2060.

في عام 2021، أجرى شي تقييمًا لصناعة الطاقة في البلاد، وأصدر توجيهاته خلال زياراته لإحدى الشركات الكيميائية في مدينة يولين بمقاطعة شنشي الشمالية الغربية ومنصة التنقيب في حقل شنغلي للنفط في مدينة دونغ ينغ بمقاطعة شاندونغ الشرقية.

كمّا حث شي خلال مؤتمر العمل الاقتصادي المركزي السنوي في ديسمبر 2021 على إحراز تقدم بخطى ثابته في العمل بشأن حياد الكربون، والذي يقول إنه مطلب طبيعي من أجل تنيمة عالية الجودة.

بلغ معدل تغطية الغابات في الصين أكثر من 23 في المائة في عام 2021، كمّا انخفض استهلاك الطاقة لكل وحدة من الناتج المحلي الإجمالي بنسبة 2.3 في المائة سنويًا خلال الأشهر التسعة الأولى.

الرابط: https://youtu.be/mm64TSpkfZI

الفيديو – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm64TSpkfZI

January 4, 2022

Covid-19: Mozambican president, first lady test positive

MAPUTO— Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and his wife Isaura Nyusi have tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential office announced in a statement.

They president and first lady, both asymptomatic, got a positive result from a routine test on Monday afternoon and are currently under quarantine, according to the statement.

“Considering the current context dominated by high levels of infection caused by the Omicron variant, the head of state and his wife underwent the rapid test, the results of which were positive for SARS-CoV-2,” read the statement.

The document said that the president carried out activities including visits to different locations, as well as holding meetings with several delegations at national level and beyond, during the last days of 2021.

“In compliance with the current sanitary guidelines, even though they are asymptomatic, President Nyusi and his wife took the immediate decision to strictly comply with the quarantine protocol, while awaiting the definitive PCR results,” read the document.

Mozambican health authorities have announced that the Omicron variant is now the dominant strain in the country, as the numbers of new infections have increased in recent weeks.

In the last 24 hours, the Mozambican Health Ministry registered 12 fatalities due to COVID-19, bringing the cumulative deaths caused by the disease to 2,031 in the country.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

January 4, 2022

Zimbabwe: 632 arrested as Zimbabwe-South Africa tighten border security

HARARE –Zimbabwe and South Africa have tightened security along the Limpopo border to thwart illegal activities, especially smuggling and the irregular movement of people between the two countries, with over 600 being arrested last Sunday alone.

Between Dec 10 and Dec 31 last year, 13,387 people were arrested for border jumping and smuggling-related cases.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the security officials were not relenting on their quest to uphold the law at the border.

“We have deployed enough manpower to deal with criminal elements along the border.

“On Sunday alone we arrested 632 people under the ongoing operation ‘No to Cross-border Crimes-Fhasi Ngamilandu Yamukanuni Yamashango — Mhosva Pamiganhu Ngadzipere — Amacala Kawaphele Emingceleni Yelizwe’.

“Among these were smugglers, illegal vendors, Covid-19 protocols violators, and irregular migrants,” he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi said the police were conducting operations concurrently with their South African counterparts.

Most of those being arrested were attempting to use the few illegal crossing points remaining since the Limpopo River water levels have started rising.

Police also warned people against using informal crossing points since they risked prosecution, being attacked by thugs or wild animals, and drowning in the Limpopo River.

“We are carrying out the security operations concurrently with our counterparts in South Africa so that we don’t give the criminals breathing space.

“The security forces are out in full force along the borderline and we are descending hard on those breaking the law,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

He said the number of people using the border has been increasing in the past week with many migrants trying to beat the very tight security checks as the festive season winds up.

The police, said Asst Comm Nyathi, would not take lightly to those people smuggling goods, skipping the border, and smuggling the Covid-19 virus across borders.

It is understood that some immigrants are using over 200 illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River to enter or leave and smuggle goods into the country.

The sole legal crossing point is at Beitbridge.

The most common crossing points are Mai Maria, Dite, Panda Mine, River Ranch, Dulivhadzimu Gorge, Spillway and Tshivhara.

Bulky smuggled goods include electrical gadgets, groceries, and other prohibited goods.

Zimbabwe beefed up security along its border with South Africa in January last year after it was discovered that general crime and smuggling was rife and the country was losing millions of revenue in terms of import duty.

The security patrols are being conducted by helicopters, drones, the police and army horse-mounted units, and the canine sections.

Over 80 000 people were arrested for various offences between January and December last year under the same operation.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK