“Serious concern” that South Africa’s land borders are effectively open, notwithstanding the involvement of four government departments, is an over-riding conclusion at the end of a four-day Parliamentary defence oversight visit to the Limpopo/Zimbabwe border.
Members of Parliament (MPs) from both National Assembly (NA) defence oversight committees – the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) – were hands-on and eyes open this week along the Limpopo River. They also interacted with officers and soldiers at a provincial tactical headquarters.
JSCD chair Malusi Gigaba is quoted by Parliamentary Communication Service statements as saying the visit was to assess the situation first-hand. It is worrying that government departments and entities responsible for border management are not working together to find lasting solutions to the country’s porous borders, the JSCD and PCDMV said.
The government departments and entities Gigaba refers to are the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) resorting in Minister Angie Motshekga’s Department of Defence (DoD); the Border Management Authority (BMA), a Ministry of Home Affairs entity; the SA Police Service (SAPS), currently the responsibility of Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia; and the SA Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Division in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’ portfolio of responsibilities.
The statements report the SANDF telling their Parliamentary visitors there was a lack of manpower to properly monitor the long stretch of borders shared with Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. “Soldiers are required to cover hundreds of kilometres, often with limited resources,” the SANDF said. “The SANDF is severely underfunded. We should have 22 military companies patrolling our borders, but currently there are only 15. Even these are struggling due to shortages of personnel, vehicles and modern technology, such as drones,” said Gigaba.
The SANDF also noted that informal settlements near the Limpopo River make border control even more difficult, as some residents are reportedly involved in aiding illegal crossings.
PCDMV chair Dakota Legoete is quoted as saying: “If we are being honest, we don’t have functioning borders, and this puts the safety of our country at risk”.
Co-Chairperson of the JSCD, Phiroane Phala, added: “While it is important to maintain good relations with our neighbours, we must also protect our territorial integrity. We cannot allow people to enter and leave the country without control.”
An on-foot inspection along the Limpopo River brought to light damaged fencing and areas where there are regular illegal crossings. Soldiers told the MPs they were too few to effectively monitor and respond to the constant flow of border jumpers.
The committees said they will continue their oversight work and engage with relevant departments to push for better coordination, increased funding, and stronger border protection measures.
Gigaba has it further managing migration to realise South Africa’s economic development and national security potential and minimise its risks requires a new paradigm underpinned by management. This he envisages as an “all-of-government” and “all-of-society” approach. “It is necessary to invest in border management infrastructure in order to mitigate the loss of billions of rand as a result of counterfeit goods, the illicit entry and exit of goods that are not declared to SARS and crimes such as car theft and illicit tobacco, among others.”
The committees, the statements have it, want a strategy to address the nature of migration, which affects all provinces. “All of government must come together with the involvement of all security structures for concerted operations.”
Both committees further want to see “a sufficiently equipped SANDF and other border entities in terms of personnel on the ground, technology and other resources”.
Gigaba emphasised that something needs to be done about syndicates that buy trucks and hire drivers to transport illicit goods across border lines. In addition, concerted efforts are needed to find solutions, as South Africa cannot control what happens with its counterparts on the Zimbabwe side. Members of the oversight committees also called for collection of all the donkeys along the border as they are used to carry out illegal activities. They said the engagement with the BMA has exposed a weak and dysfunctional system.
Gigaba recommended that all departmental entities should improve on their cooperation to disable the enablers and traffickers. “It is worrying to think that should the truck scanner that is in use break down due not being properly maintained, this will pose a huge risk as cargo will not be scanned,” he noted.
“It has become very clear that the BMA does not have a budget, same as SAPS, Home Affairs and SANDF. It is estimated that South Africa losses over R83 billion rands in illicit goods and substances and one of the national key points where there is a serious national threat is here in Beitbridge, Durban harbour and OR Tambo,” Legoete said.
The committee concluded that it might be ill advised to throw all the available resources at chasing people entering the country, as they may miss their target. A strategy is needed to address the nature of migration, which affects all provinces. All of government must come together with the involvement of all security structures for concerted operations.
In spite of challenges, Gigaba commended the admirable dedication of soldiers serving along the border, at times without proper equipment. “We need to ensure that the challenges they face at the level of technology, equipment and infrastructure are addressed. They are making enormous personal sacrifices to protect those of us inside the country.”
