Illegal border crossings 'most frequent activity' in Limpopo border area

Zimbabwean women want to give birth in SA and register for the child grant

Soldiers pounced on a suspect who tried to smuggle goods from South Africa to Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Soldiers deployed under “Operation Corona” took journalists on their daily patrol as they intensified their operation along the border.

SANDF's battalion commander of the deployed forces and Operation Corona in Limpopo, Lt-Col Mzoxolo Ketsekile, said the man was caught while his accomplice escaped. Ketsekile said the man said he was carrying clothes and shoes.

Operation Corona is employed to effect national border control and defend and protect South Africa, its territorial integrity and its people in accordance with the constitution and the principles of international law.

This includes curbing all forms of cross-border crimes such as illegal smuggling of dagga, stolen vehicles and undocumented people at the border with neighbouring countries.

The deployment, which covers an area of 1,038km from Pafuri to Rooibokkraal, started on September 1 and will last until April 30 2025.

Ketsekile said illegal border crossing was the most frequent illegal activity that takes place along the borderline area of their responsibility and it occurs daily with undocumented people crossing from neighbouring countries into South Africa.

“Crossing is at any time of the day but most crossing takes place at night or early morning under the cover of darkness, so as to avoid security forces deployed along the borderline. They will bribe their way through to get into South Africa,” he said.

He said that pregnant women from Zimbabwe cross into South Africa to give birth in South African hospitals, and then attempt to register the child as South African to qualify for the child grant.

Ketsekile said since their deployment, they have managed to arrest two pregnant women but cannot divulge more information due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“The high cost of living as well as the high unemployment in our neighbouring countries has left many of these undocumented people desperate to get into South Africa, so much so that even after deportation they will try until they are successful in living permanently in South Africa,” Ketsekile said.

Ketsekile said high unemployment in neighbouring countries has also resulted in cross-border crimes whereby criminal gangs cross into South Africa to rob households and commit other criminal acts in border towns as well as farming compounds along the border.

He said some criminals acted as “guides” to take undocumented people across the borderline and rob or rape them once they have crossed into South Africa as they know they will not report them to the police due to fear of being deported.

“The smuggling of illegal cigarettes has become a very lucrative business for criminal syndicates. It's the largest form of smuggling along the borderline but other goods are also being smuggled, such as copper, ivory, explosives and drugs. The explosives are used in ATM bombings as well as for illegal mining within South Africa,” Ketsekile said.

Ketsekile also said the smugglers of vehicles were very organised and unpredictable.

“Vehicles are stolen or hijacked in South Africa and smuggled over the border. To curb this activity all vehicles need to be stopped and verified once driving along the South African border,” he said.

He said they have so far recovered more than R33m worth of confiscated items.

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