Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Hundreds of elite South African parabat troops are manning areas around the South African/ Zimbabwe border.

The SANDF yesterday said the troops were conducting “routine” border operations.

It was quick to point out that it had no intentions of sending anymore troops to the border “for fear of sending the wrong signal”.

The three rifle companies currently in the border vicinity are from 44 Parachute Battalion.

The troops, due to be withdrawn by March next year as part of the handover of border control duties to the SAPS, have been involved in the arrest of thousands of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants fleeing Robert Mugabe’s forces since January.

SANDF Joint Operational Headquarters commander Major-General Barny Hlatswayo said the number of people crossing the border had increased since the elections in Zimbabwe last month.

Since January the 517 troops stationed near the border area have captured 10 160 Zimbabweans crossing illegally into South Africa.

Responding to questions as to whether the SANDF would deploy further troops to the South African-Zimbabwe border in light of the current crisis, Hlatswayo said: “The input from the commander on the ground in the area is that it is business as usual. He and his forces are not overstretched.

“While the arrests of immigrants have increased, it does not yet warrant a need to send more troops, especially as this could be seen as sending the ‘wrong signal’, which we don’t want to do.”

Defence Department spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the situation in Zimbabwe was being dealt with at a multilateral level, with the UN and the Southern African Development Community and President Thabo Mbeki continuing to mediate.

“Until such time as the SANDF receives an instruction, we are going to continue with our business as usual.

“Like any other government department, we are watching how the events are playing themselves out,” he said.

Asked if there were any contingency plans for military intervention in Zimbabwe should the need arise, Dlamini said: “We have not received such instructions. The mediations and negotiations aren’t over yet.”

Chief Director Operations Rear Admiral Philip Schöultz said the constitution contained the legal framework allowing the president to deploy the military internally.

The SANDF has gradually been handing over its borderline control duties to the SAPS since last year.

Eight border bases in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape and Limpopo manned by 1 160 soldiers have been handed over to 435 SAPS members.

Hlatswayo said that while they were winding down their borderline control responsibilities, they would continue to support the SAPS.

“We have a rapid response force, which has limited powers, but can and will be used if and when needed,” he said.

Explaining the handover of borderline control to the SAPS Hlatswayo said: “The policy decision was based on the SANDF’s mandate and the constitution.

“The principals involved in the decision felt that the SAPS were better able to do border duty.

“But given that the SANDF’s mandate is to protect the integrity of South Africa during both peace and war, the defence force will continuously support the police whenever the need arises.”