Occasional Paper

SANDF Control of the Northern and Eastern Border Areas of South Africa

“Field research undertaken for this paper originally aimed to focus on the illegal movement of firearms across South Africa’s international borders. However, it was difficult to separate the issue of firearms from that of illegal immigration or even vehicle crimes and drug-trafficking. This paper examines the areas of responsibility of different SANDF groups, the available resources, illegal crossing points and the recorded seizures of firearms. Some remarks by the SANDF are offered on the smuggling of arms in the Northern Province and Mpumalanga.”