By Dr Masimba Mavaza
There are more than hundred land, air, and border ports in the Republic of South Africa that receive imported cargo. Border patrol and customs agents face the daunting challenge of deterring dangerous substances such as illegal narcotics, new synthetic drugs, weapons, and explosives, from entering the country while facilitating commerce and safe travel. Over the past few months, the influx of migrants in the SADC region has intensified while immigration routes have become more and more unpredictable. “What distresses the South African government is the uncertainty of how the flow of migration to their country will develop. South Africa talks about how the forceful removals of undocumented migrants will ease the coordination of border protection on the external borders and improve the protection of basic rights.
Can it be possible for South Africa to control and protect their borders without abusing human rights?.
Border Protection agency noted that “more than 5000 Zimbabweans were intercepted and deported back to Zimbabwe. South Africa has a right to defend and protect its borders. On a typical day, South Africa processes over 2000 passengers and pedestrians, more than 10.000 pieces of cargo and conveyances, and more than ten thousand privately owned vehicles entering the country at air, land, and sea ports of entry.”
The problem of protecting one’s country’s borders is without question one of the most highly debated issues we face today.The complexity of protecting one’s borders, while not infringing on individual rights or negatively impacting global trade, should not be underestimated.Of equal importance is the ability to move quickly to reinforce the current security measures with enhanced measures properly supported by regulations and policies.
Since the advent of terrorism in the globe increased emphasis has been placed on security, access control and identification.Positive identification is more critical than ever before.
Identification is a far cry from authentication. Today there is technology called biometrics that provides positive identification using fingerprint, iris, facial, hand geometry, voice, and signature recognition.
It is to that end that the world is moving towards e passports and a lot of electrical identifications.
There are recognised methods of entering the country, you need to enter through a legally designated border post. This can be by land, sea or air. When you look at the number of people, vehicles and cargo that enter the country annually you begin to see the magnitude of the task.Every day close to $ 1 billion worth of goods and services crosses the RSA border alone.Given the magnitude of this two-way trade, maintaining a secure and efficient border is critical to the global and national economy. Both nations would benefit more from a well organised border crossing.
In order to secure borders without disrupting the flow of goods and people, there must be a fundamental change to the approach that has been taken in the past.Zimbabwe and South Africa must move from a “guns, guards and gates” mental model to a new model based on “information, intelligence and integration.” This change requires a reengineering and process transformation.These efforts will require the two countries to address this issue far more holistically than has been the case in the past.
Those borders must be opened permanently and people will not view illegal crossing as a challenge.
Zimbabweans are very resilient by nature they love taking challenges and South Africans love to apportion blame.
The process of securing borders has multiple recursive elements embedded within the core thread.This adds to the complexity of operations and the need for new technology.
With substantial change comes substantial risk.There is a finite amount of change an individual or organization can accept in a given period of time.Time is critical.Securing our borders is a high priority and must be accelerated to protect the people, property and government within our separate countries.
Countries owe it to their governments to protect their borders. But historically the region tolerated each other and treated each other as one.
The way South Africa is doing it is demonic. They are setting their populace against the foreigners at large and Zimbabweans in particular.
Zimbabwe and South Africa are joined to the core not just by a common geographic border but by a myriad of complex socio-economic interests that span over a century. It is in this light that the current predicament of Zimbabwean immigrants in SA must be viewed.
The sight of our Zimbabwean comrades hunted like wild animals and paraded like thieves hurts to the bone. The mothers whose crime is to go to South Africa to look after their families, continue to be paraded on social media and televisions like thieves.
If only we could do tit for tat to these neighbours who think that they are special.
It will be very difficult and almost impossible for the Zimbabwe government to do tit for tat procedures with South Africa. Our economy is a big South African supermarket. It has seen years of cruel battering from sanctions and looting. We can’t close Beitbridge. Or deport the South African ambassador. These moves will have serious repercussions on our people .
We have bilateral trade agreements with SA. South Africa under African boarders was under Zimbabwe but when the whites came, the whites separated us. Currently Zimbabwe and South Africa have bilateral trade agreements which date back to the days of Rhodesia.
Zimbabwe delayed the land reform programme for the sake of South Africa. We as Zimbabweans at least believed that South Africans are our brothers.
But South Africans believe that Zimbabweans are blood sucking ticks on South African Flesh.
Regardless of documents Zimbabweans do not get free food in South Africa. They work for each and every penny they get.
Zimbabweans are not proud they even pick odd jobs even if they are more educated than their boss.
You will find Zimbabwean teachers working as maids this is the level of humility Zimbabweans have.
While a country has a right to protect its borders it has the obligation to treat the immigration offenders with dignity. Besides what the South Africans think about Zimbabweans Zimbabwe gave all towards South Africa’s independence.
The relationship between the countries is a constant that we must cherish. Our government has to remind its South African counterparts of this sobering reality. The face of fortune will once again smile on Zimbabwe with its back on SA as has happened in history. That must not degrade, diminish or in anyway affect the respect we must have of each other.
Both governments must accept that there are many questions where each has its own answer to. However we must have one common answer that we share: this is that when we disagree we do so with civility, preserving our common history and valuing our shared hopes.
The two governments must recognise our mutual dependency.
One of the challenges that we face is to convince South Africans that South Africa is in Africa: that Europeans have long realised that Europe can only prosper when all Europe is prosperous. So must our government convince South Africa that it can only prosper when we all prosper.
This cruelty to other Africans must come to an end now. Zimbabweans do not deserve such cruelty. Yes one can protect his border with dignity.
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