(3 Minutes Read)
In a decisive move to bolster border security, the South African government has initiated the construction of a formidable concrete barrier along its border with Mozambique. This strategic development comes as a response to the escalating incidents of vehicle theft and smuggling, which have long plagued the region.
The South African authorities have earmarked USD 2.7 million for the construction of a wall along a segment of the South Africa-Mozambique border in anticipation of deterring individuals from crossing over for vehicle theft and smuggling. The wall is divided into three sections: an 8km (5-mile) barrier near Tembe Elephant Park, an 8km stretch near iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and a 9km wall extending from the western boundary of Tembe Elephant Park towards the Pongolo River.
Building works on the Tembe Elephant Park section are currently underway, according to a joint briefing by the South African government and KwaZulu-Natal province. The impact of the project has been positively received by the community and the South African National Defense Force, it added. 15 companies of troops are deployed to secure South Africa’s borders, with a particular focus on the “high-risk borders” with Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho.
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The barrier’s efficacy in crime prevention was recently highlighted when perpetrators failed to surmount it with a stolen SUV, using iron ladders. The ladders collapsed under the vehicle’s weight, leading the criminals to set it ablaze in a bid to obliterate evidence.
