South African army deploys speed boats to stop illegal crossings on Limpopo River

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has deployed speed boats to patrol the Limpopo River in an effort to prevent illegal crossings from Zimbabwe into South Africa through unauthorised entry points.

The move follows repeated calls by the Border Management Authority (BMA) for urgent intervention, amid concerns that migrants have been exploiting gaps along the border to enter South Africa unlawfully.

Reporting from the Limpopo River, Newzroom Afrika’s Scara Mafokoane said groups of Zimbabwean nationals were seen waiting on the riverbanks for SANDF patrol boats to move away, apparently hoping to cross once the area was clear. Said Mafokoane:

“What we have noticed is that as soon as they (SANDF) leave towards the west, those people who you see now make their way, took them less than five minutes to cross from the Zimbabwean side to the South African side.”

A BMA official said the border fence is no longer an effective deterrent. He said:

“We arrest someone now and then, within 30 minutes, we see the same face within our port that we need to cross over again.

“But what we usually do as law enforcement, we profile the individuals that giving us problems at the border, the port itself.

“Then we open cases for them so that they can go to trial and then be charged as such.”

South Africa’s other law enforcement agencies, including the SANDF and the South African Police Service, say that despite having officers on the ground, their numbers are insufficient to effectively patrol the 40-kilometre border, allowing illegal immigrants to slip through. *_-Pindula_*