Soldiers waging a war with criminals on the Mozambican border

KOMATIPOORT – Situated close to the dilapidated and formerly electrified fence between South Africa and Mozambique, Dludluma and Steenbok provide a perfect maze of roads to lose pursuing soldiers in or to hide and prepare vehicles for the border crossing.

Bravo Company commander, Maj Marvin Manganye, based at Macadamia Military Base near KaMaqhekeza, explained that soldiers regularly need to change their routine and sleep with one eye open as a network of criminals watch them to exploit any gap in their defences.

On Thursday night, during a regular patrol that media representatives were invited to participate in, criminals with two suspected stolen vehicles led soldiers on a chase through the streets of KaMaqhekeza, Dludluma and Block B.

This resulted soldiers setting up a late night stop-and-search in Dludluma in the hopes of catching any criminals active in the area.

Since Bravo Company has been deployed on September 23, they have managed to recover 19 vehicles with a total value of R5,8 million. The most recent success was a stolen Ford Ranger recovered in Block C last Wednesday.

In an echo of police warnings over the past few weeks, Manganye said hardy bakkies like Ford Rangers and Toyota Hiluxes are the preferred targets of smuggling syndicates.

Tougher bakkies are in demand among smugglers as they are more likely to make it across the border and the rocky and mountainous terrain that surrounds it.

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Soldiers and police have to check VIN numbers when dealing with stolen vehicles, as smugglers often swap licence plates. Luckily the number plates also tip them off to suspicious activities as the registration often belongs to a vehicle of a completely different colour or make.

A lookout point at an army outpost near Dludluma is one of several along the 68-kilometre border line where soldiers have to scrutinise the landscape, as criminals make full use of the cover of darkness.

During the day, vehicles are hidden in villages close to the border. Here cables to the brake lights are cut, lightbulbs are removed or lights removed or shattered. Some even cover the dashboard lights to ensure no glow gives them away. Number plates are also sometimes switched.

One person is then selected to safely lead the vehicle, or sometimes even a convoy, over the rough terrain to the border fence. The fence has usually been cut at the selected spot and is peeled back or trampled for the vehicles, people or illicit goods to cross.

READ: Troops celebrate R31 million’s successes during border deployment

Thanks to their vigilance and hard work, the SANDF has recovered goods valued at around R15,7 million over the past two months. These include the aforementioned vehicles and five rhino horns valued at R5 million they recovered on October 28, in partnership with Komatipoort SAPS.

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Other goods recovered are cigarettes (R48 700), dagga (R4 960), alcohol (R13 220), cosmetics (R18 400), contraband (R4,8 million), four self-made handguns and two hunting rifles.

Although the soldiers managed to arrest 289 people for illegally crossing the border, they admit that many more slip through the border due to lack of resources and the fence’s appalling condition.

READ: Cells overflow with illegal border crossers