T - Department of Defence

insightS A S O L D I E RSANDF safeguarding bordersfor a better life for allSince the return of the SANDF to the borders,cross-border crime has dropped andcrime syndicates have been dealt a blow.Article and photo by S SgtLebogang TlhaoleAs envisaged by the Constitutionof the Republic of South Africathe role of the SA NationalDefence Force is to protect theterritorial integrity and safeguardthe sovereignty of theRepublic. The SA government took aconscious decision to declare bordersafeguarding a national priority.The SA Police Service (SAPS) is currentlywithdrawing from our country's bordersto concentrate on reducing the highlevels of crime. In line with its constitutionalresponsibility the SANDF hasreturned to the borders with effect fromApril 2010 to ensure that its mandate iscarried out.The return to the borders will be effectedin a five-phase approach over the nextfour years with a total of 22 companies.Currently the SANDF is covering 1 500km of the border. At the end of the fulldeployment it is estimated that theSANDF will cover 4 471 km of the landborder, 2 700 km of the maritime borderand 7 660 km of the air space.Since the return of the SANDF to theborders in April 2010, several successeswere recorded, including in the KrugerNational Park in support of the SouthAfrican National Parks campaignagainst rhino poaching. On 18 May 2011three poachers were fatally wounded inthe Kruger National Park north of theOlifants River in the Houtbosrand areawhen SANDF soldiers came across thesuspected poachers.An AK47 rifle, oneBruno 458 huntingrifle, two axes and twocellphones were foundin their possession.In cases where rhinopoaching manifests asa cross-border crimeactivity, the SANDFacts within the frameworkof its presentmandate as per theDefence Act of 2002section (18)(d).Now South Africa is reaping the benefitsof SANDF deployment. The borders aresecurer, cross-border crime has dropped,crime syndicates have been dealt a blowand communities and farmers feel saferbecause they believe in the SANDF, saidthe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, during her2011 Budget Vote speech.Phase 1 ended in March 2011 with fourcompanies already deployed in thenorth-east on the Zimbabwean andMozambican borders. Two SA ArmyEngineers troops were already deployedin support to repair border fences. Phase2 started in the new financial year andincluded the deployment of three companiesto the Kruger National Park(Mozambique), Lesotho and Swazilandborders respectively. Phase 3 will seefour additional companies deploy on theZimbabwean, Lesotho and Swazilandborders. During Phase 4 the focus in thisdeployment will be on theSANDF members patrolling the border fencebetween South Africa and Mozambique.Botswana/Namibian borders, but willalso include deployments on theLesotho border. In Phase 5 the deploymentswill be concentrated along theBotswana and Namibian frontiers.Additional deployments will includeSwaziland and Mozambique. By thistime all 22 companies will be deployedand South Africa's land borders will besafeguarded.The SANDF is the lead department inborder safeguarding, but it requires theco-operation of various governmentdepartments, namely Agriculture,Health, Home Affairs, Public Works,State Security and Tourism and theSAPS to ensure success and effectiveness.Safeguarding the land border willbe conducted mainly by SA Army soldierssupported by the SA Air Force andSA Military Health Service elements.These elements will operate in identifiedmission areas and conduct day andnight high mobility operations.J U N E 2 0 1 1 • s29