JOHANNESBURG - Criminal syndicates have become so brazen that they are now smuggling illegal goods and undocumented migrants in and out of South Africa in broad daylight.
A smuggler, Tafadzwa Chinyaure, revealed that they get paid between R500 to R2,000 to help people cross the border illegally.
He was speaking to eNCA at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, it is one of the country’s busiest and rife with crime.
He says many undocumented migrants simply can’t afford to cross the border legally.
The country’s border posts continue to be hubs for organised crime which poses serious national and regional security implications.
In April, Border Management Authority Commissioner Michael Masiapato revealed that over 6,000 people were arrested for trying to illegally enter or exit the country over Easter.
He says that’s a 61% increase compared to the same period last year.
Masiapato says nearly 5,000 of those arrested had no documentation, while others were using fraudulent visas.
Most were from Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Mozambique.
Beitbridge is not the only border under siege.
This was clear when eNCA visited the Oshoek crossing between South Africa and Eswatini and the Lebombo Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique.
Despite ongoing efforts to tighten border control, the BMA faces serious capacity issues.
According to Acting Oshoek Port Commander, Sibusiso Mhlanga, ports of entry are operating at only 18% of their capacity, leaving many vulnerable areas unmonitored.
“When you look at the staff we have as the authority we have about 11,000 but currently we have about 2,000 BMA officials across the 71 ports. We are struggling to properly man all the vulnerable segments within the ports.”
In Mpumalanga, officials say they are managing the crime crisis at the Lebombo Border.
The province’s Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Jackie Macie, says the issues have been escalated to the presidency.
With Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana now allowing the use of identity documents rather than passports for entry, eNCA posed a viewer question on the matter.
One social media user on X says South Africa is not ready for open borders.
Another user slammed the idea and called for the closure of the borders and deportation of illegal migrants.
While many were against the idea, others argued that the solution lies in better cooperation among neighbouring countries.