South Africa has pardoned and deported 183 Mozambican prisoners from overcrowded prisons as part of efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

The country has so far confirmed about 280,000 cases and 4,000 deaths.

The deportees arrived on Monday through the Ressano Garcia border post, Mozambican state-run newspaper, Noticias, reports.

This was the second group of Mozambican prisoners deported from South Africa in a bid to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

The first group of 439 was repatriated in mid-May.

Two of them had tested positive for the virus.