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The Department of Public Works has warned of the dire state of South Africa’s borders and the growing security threats this poses to the country.
In a presentation to parliament on Wednesday (October 14), Malusi Ganiso, director of urban planning services for the Department of Public Works, said that the government has not adequately addressed the country’s borders since taking power in 1994.
“Since 1994 we have failed like (South Africa) to take care of our border. Due to that ignorance, we have brought a great burden to South Africa in terms of the socio-economic diaphragm. “
Ganiso said that the government is now looking for a total border solution that meets international standards, to rectify the problems.
This will include the introduction of suitable fencing as well as a patrol road along the country’s borders, he said.
“We can testify that the current situation on the country’s border does not look good. We are not secure socially, economically or politically.
“In terms of war, we are ‘fragile’ in such a way that anything could reach South Africa and we can be bombed. We have nothing on the limit. “
Ganiso pointed to the images below that were taken during a recent inspection of the site by the department. “If you go to Lesotho and Swaziland there is nothing, there is no fence at the border,” he said.
As part of his presentation, Ganiso presented some of the proposals and technologies that the government was seeking to conceal the country’s borders, including kinematic and fiber detection.
- Kinematic detection – This will see the introduction of kinetic sensing sensors on the country’s border fences. These sensors are capable of detecting within 15 feet of a breach attempt and a resolution backed by stainless steel field kiosks and a failover network. The mapping software will help provide the location of the alarm;
- Fiber detection – This proposal will see the introduction of a fiber optic cable within the perimeter fence, which will allow detection within a gap of 2 meters. The technology has been installed across multiple international borders, including four eastern Schengen borders in Europe.
The filing comes after the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) was hit by a series of irregularities surrounding the new Beitbridge border fence project.
The 40 km stretch of fences between South Africa and Zimbabwe was initially completed in May, but the project was marred by problems from its inception, including questions about its acquisition and the theft of fence materials.
An investigation into the deal revealed a series of acquisitions and other irregularities perpetrated during the infrastructure delivery process.
This includes possible acts of fraud perpetrated by identified department officials and service providers of the border fence project.
The research also showed that:
- The framework for contracting specifications, evaluating and awarding offers was not correctly followed;
- The fence does not meet the drawings and specifications;
- The cost of the project was exceeded by around 17 million rand;
- Poor construction practices compromised the fence’s effectiveness as a deterrent to crossing the South African border with Zimbabwe;
- The investigation team said it considered the fence “not fit for purpose” and that current payments in this regard can already be considered wasteful and wasteful expenses.
Read: South African Taxpayers Spent 40 Million Rand On A Broken Fence – What Went Wrong
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