Battered bakkies, bushveld and illegal borders

Armed with only an affidavit or a school report card, hundreds of people enter or leave Swaziland every week through an illegal border crossing in Mpumalanga.

The Mail & Guardian saw how people were crammed like sardines into battered bakkies and ferried to a spot close to Jeppes Reef and near the South African-Swaziland border. They then entered the kingdom without being stopped by South African soldiers.

The bakkies were parked at two informal taxi ranks — one a stone’s throw from the illegal border crossing and the other about 5km away, where the bakkies were parked in the shade of marula trees.

A taxi operator confirmed that 12 bakkies were used to ferry passengers to and from the border crossing. At least 15 people were transported in each bakkie and a single trip to the border cost R15.

In just two hours last Friday, seven bakkieloads of passengers were transported to the illegal border crossing.

Those who opt to use the bakkies board them without any concern that what they are doing is illegal.

Many claim that the practice of crossing the border illegally has been going on for years and that the South African soldiers turn a blind eye to it.

A taxi operator said that those who use the illegal crossing do not have passports.

“Those who do have passports use the Matsamo border gate next to Jeppes Reef,” he said. “We make a living transporting these people to the border. We are not stealing.”

He added that, after crossing the South African side of the border, passengers are searched by Swazi soldiers who inquire about their destination in Swaziland and the date they would be returning to South Africa.

“Our soldiers don’t patrol the spot where people cross over into Swaziland,” he claimed.

A woman whose young daughter uses the bakkie to get to the illegal border crossing said she was always concerned about her safety.

“The bakkies are very old and are always overloaded. It’s not safe.”

She said that, after they alight from the bakkie on the South African side of the border, passengers have to walk along a footpath bordered by dense bush