The South African National Defence Force (SANDF), through its Defence Corporate Communications division, last week organised a visit to the Musina border area to show the media how the military is patrolling the country’s borders under Operation Corona.
Under the command of Joint Tactical Headquarters Limpopo, 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment (AA) deployed to safeguard South Africa’s northern border on 1 September 2024 and is scheduled to complete their deployment on 30 April 2025.
Based out of Kimberly, 10 AA contributes a Battalion Tactical Headquarters and one Company, Bravo Company, to the deployment. They are joined by Alpha Company, from the Chief Langalibalele Rifles, Charlie Company from 5 South African Infantry, and Delta Company, from the Mapungubwe Regiment. Each Company is assigned a sector of the border, and collectively patrol an area measuring 1 038km in length.
On the morning of 28 November, members of the media gathered at Musina military base before joining Bravo Company personnel for a day patrol along hotspots on the Musina and Pondrift border sections. These sections account for approximately two thirds of the 270 km long border between South Africa and Zimbabwe, which has become notorious for its porous nature, given that it is defined by the Limpopo River, a seasonal river which remains dry for up to eight months per year.
As a result of the unreliable nature of the river, much of the area is fenced by barbed wire, which has been cut and broken countless times, with some sections being left bare and exposed. Previously, the area east of Beit Bridge was secured by an electric fence, but the fence was severely damaged by destructive floods in 2000.
The most frequent illegal activity which the battalion has been tasked with preventing is illegal border crossing, a daily occurrence and almost impossible to prevent.
After mounting up on Toyota Land Cruiser troop packs, the main form of mobility for the SANDF along the border, we drove along the eastern side of Beit Bridge for several kilometres, before coming to a stop at a crossing point frequented by smugglers, known in the area as Goma-gomas.
At roughly 200 metres wide, the dry sandy riverbed has become no-man’s land, an area covered by littered cigarette packets, energy drink cans, beer bottles and cough syrup bottles, with the occasional stagnant puddle, a reminder of the recent rainfall which marks the beginning of the wet season.
On both sides of the river exist small informal settlements. Although separated by the river, they are part of the same community, one which according to a Lieutenant Colonel who was our guide, facilitates smuggling and illegal crossings. As we stood in the riverbed, the Lieutenant Colonel pointed towards the tracks in the sand, fresh from recent activity. Donkeys, and donkey carts, have become a common method of transporting contraband from side to side.
During the day, the donkeys roam freely, drinking from pools of water, and resting under the shade along the banks on either side. Across the river, there is little activity on the Zimbabwean side. From under the shade of a tree, we are watched by groups of people, whom the SANDF personnel identified as “destabilisers”.
As we observed the movements across the riverbed, a man carrying a bucket in each hand passed through our group, and calmly walked across to the other side, knowing the soldiers could not stop him. This became a common sight throughout the day: anytime we approached the bank of the river, migrants and Goma-gomas would simply just run across to the other side, where soldiers could not pursue.
Many of the soldiers who accompanied us expressed a sense of disappointment, noting they could do their best, and would still not be able to prevent illegal crossings. Since the man with the buckets was crossing over to Zimbabwe, it would be the responsibility of Zimbabwean authorities to apprehend and detain him. However, at no point were Zimbabwean authorities present on the other side. According to some of the migrants interviewed at Beit Bridge, Zimbabwean authorities are also part of the problem.
Upon crossing to Zimbabwe, migrants face threats of violence from Zimbabwean authorities, who often extort migrants and steal whatever they have crossed with. Those who cross legally through Beit Bridge must pay tax on goods bought in South Africa, something which many cannot afford, leaving them to risk crossing back illegally.
As we were departing from Beit bridge, we received reports that a group of migrants was attempting to cross illegally under the bridge itself, in broad daylight. Our convoy quickly intervened, and the migrants dropped their cargo and scattered. A lone individual decided to stay with the cargo, facing whatever consequences awaited him.
Surrounded by several large bags of contraband, the man sat sturdy, a stoic impression on his face. It was clear he had faced this situation before and would likely face it again. Approaching after our vehicles came to a stop, I asked him if there were cigarettes in his bags, one of the most common forms of contraband smuggled. To my surprise, he shook his head, and after a close look at the bag nearest to me, I realised he was caught attempting to smuggle shoes, clothing, and other household items.
As we waited for Military Police to arrive, one of the soldiers assigned to us for the day informed us that the group was likely attempting to avoid being taxed by Zimbabwean authorities and was likely carrying orders received from people on the other side. Several people we spoke to at Beit Bridge revealed they cross over weekly, sometimes more than once a week, simply to purchase essential groceries such as bread, cooking oil and soap. One woman noted a trip usually takes her eight to ten hours, with most of the time spent queueing at passport control.
Throughout the day patrol, activity along the border was relatively calm, with one soldier remarking that days are often long, slow and dusty. We would have to wait until nightfall to get a true sense of what really goes on at South Africa’s northern border.
This is part one of a series.
