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While at the border, it was evident that police presence was non-existent, leaving the door open for international criminal syndicates dealing in drugs and other illicit operations to work freely between South Africa and Lesotho. - Roy Jankielsohn

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Just a steel pole stands as evidence of a border between South Africa, in the southeast of Free State province, and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Cross border crime is so rampant the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2023 to combat crimes such as livestock rustling, car thefts, dagga and drugs smuggling, human trafficking, taxi violence, farm murders and theft of farming equipment, illegal mining and illegal grazing of livestock with biological risks.

However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) found no fence as they did their oversight on the border near Wepener early this month – as part of their election campaign to find fault with the ANC government.

DA Member of Parliament, Roy Jankielsohn, said that this area was a well-known hotspot for Lesotho nationals crossing into South Africa, which posed a risk to the community and farmers who regularly experience border crime.

“While at the border, it was evident that police presence was non-existent, leaving the door open for international criminal syndicates dealing in drugs and other illicit operations to work freely between South Africa and Lesotho,” Jankielsohn said.

He said that the problem of cross-border crime was also compounded by corrupt police and South African National Defence Force members. Jankielsohn said there were allegations that the SANDF and police units stationed in the area were supporting crime syndicates, including prostitution rings.

“This failure is not limited to the protection of the border itself but also the local economic development and agricultural sector that brings many jobs to the Free State economy,” said Jankielson.

“The first priority of the government is to protect the lives of residents and their livelihoods.”

Border Management Agency spokesperson, Mmemme Mokgotsi, did not respond to questions despite promising to do so.

According to findings of a  2021 study by Master’s student at the University of Stellenbosch, Abel Letlape, the main causes of porous land borders in South Africa are a lack of resources, the length and material condition of the border, uncoordinated intelligence, corrupt government officials, the colonial border legacy, liberalist migration policies and laws, lack of integrated overarching national security strategy, the large South African informal employment sector, and ineffective cooperation and collaboration between SA departments of state at national strategic level and parallel departments in neighbouring countries.

Pull factors that promoted the violation of borders include the fact that human rights were guaranteed in South Africa and, despite its challenges, South Africa was still perceived as a country socio-economically and politically exceeding other countries in Africa.

The study advises that government should focus its efforts on stabilising and assisting in the political and economic situation of its neighbouring countries, especially Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

“These countries can play a vital role in becoming a buffer and a first physical line of defence to South Africa in stopping illegal immigrants and contraband before reaching South Africa’s porous land borders,” Letlape advised.