MPs told of dire state of border fencing

The disastrous state of SA border defences was highlighted in Parliament last week when Malusi Ganiso, director of town planning at the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure (DPWI), said: ‘In terms of war, we are fragile. Anything can come to us. We could be bombed at any time, we have nothing at the border line.’ Ganiso and several senior officials of the DPWI presented a progress report to the Public Works & Infrastructure Committee on the site clearance for integrated border line fencing and patrol roads at the country's land borders. ‘Since 1994, we have failed to look after our borders. We can testify that the current situation on our border is not looking good. We are not safe socially, politically and economically. People are crossing into the country and the fence is completely down. If you go to Lesotho and Swaziland, there is nothing, absolutely nothing,’ he is quoted as saying by News24. The briefing came in the wake of the Beitbridge border fence fiasco. Investigations conducted by the DPWI and the Special Investigating Unit uncovered a cesspool of irregularities that saw government pay R17m more than expected. Ganiso presented pictures of border fences that had completely collapsed. The barbed wire is torn, cut to pieces and severely damaged. DPWI deputy DG for real estate investment Sasa Subban said the department was looking at long-term solutions. ‘There is some detailed work that has been undertaken by the technical team. We worked at the first level (of the study) with the Department of Defence. The business case is nearly finalised and will be presented to the relevant stakeholders and National Treasury going forward. We have not finalised the designs and what we are accepting as the best solution for the border line fences. The technical teams are still looking at this,’ she said.