WATCH New Doc Exposes Lack of Border Control on SA’s Border with Zimbabwe
A new documentary film, Open Borders, produced by AfriForum, exposes the complete lack of border control on South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe and looks at the wave of crime this has caused. The documentary – directed by Jacques Broodryk – also shows the extreme lengths that AfriForum’s neighbourhood- and farm watch volunteers must go to, […]
A new documentary film, Open Borders, produced by AfriForum, exposes the complete lack of border control on South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe and looks at the wave of crime this has caused.
The documentary – directed by Jacques Broodryk – also shows the extreme lengths that AfriForum’s neighbourhood- and farm watch volunteers must go to, to protect locals and their property against repeated infiltration by smugglers and poachers in this area. Criminals on the South African side also use this open border to smuggle stolen vehicles into Zimbabwe.
Broodryk says: “You really cannot understand how bad the situation is until you see it for yourself, and that’s exactly what this film aims to do. With this film we take the viewer there with us to experience the chaos. Our border areas have turned into the Wild West, where it’s every man for himself. Communities have no choice but to take responsibility for their own safety, given the absolute disinterest by government to successfully police these areas.”
In various places the border fence itself has been stolen and sold for scrap metal, this is how dire the situation has become.
“Volunteers who form part of AfriForum’s community safety structures put their lives on the line to combat cross border crime because the authorities seem to have no interest in solving the problem,” Broodryk says.
The next instalment of Open Borders will look at the South African border with Mozambique.