SANDF Battling Illegal Crossing and Smuggling Because of Damaged SA-Zimbabwe Border Fence

• The South African National Defence Force stationed at the border are battling to do their job effectively
• The government spent R37 million on the border fence dividing the two countries, and damage done to it presented challenges in keeping smugglers and crossers at bay
• Some of the SANDF leaders lamented that Zimbabweans cut holes in the fence to cross through and smuggle goods

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

SOUTH AFRICA—The R37 million border fence separating Zimbabwe and South Africa has been damaged, making it difficult for the South African National Defence Force to defend it effectively.

Torn border fence between Zim and SA

According to TimesLIVE, members of the SANDF apprehended three suspects on 28 November 2024 during Operation Corona. One of them was a minor, and the minor's mother escaped. A smuggler also escaped. Senior leadership in the SANDF said one of the biggest challenges is a damaged fence,

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Major Shihlangoma Mahlahlane, the commander of the Bravo Company, said the Zinbabwe-South Africa border fence is down because people cut it to cross illegally into South Africa. These include smugglers and Zimbabweans looking to enter the country. He said it is difficult to stop them from crossing because of the many exits they cut into the fence.

He also accused corrupt officials of accepting payments and bribes for Zimbabweans to cross over into South Africa. Another senior official, Captain Jacobus Theunissen, said the SANDG is stretched thin because of different operations. He said the SANDF is deployed to fight illegal mining and protect Eskom infrastructure. He also said soldiers are deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SAPS destroy man-made bridge

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Police Service destroyed a man-made bridge over the Limpopo River.

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The bridge reportedly smuggled goods and people in and out of South Africa from Zimbabwe.

Source: Briefly News