The Department of Public Works has requested the Department of Defence and Home Affairs to beef up security along the new border fence with Zimbabwe after it was vandalised.
Construction of the 40-kilometer fence started in March at a cost of R37 million.
The fence is aimed at stopping illegal immigrants from getting into the country, and to strengthen efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In this video, the Public Works Department is erecting 40-kilometer fence at the border with Zimbabwe:
Minister Patricia De Lille’s Spokesperson, Zara Nicholson says the two departments must ensure that security along the border is reinforced.
“The responsibility of securing the country’s border is with the Department of Defence and Home Affairs. So, the DPW’s contactor has been inundated with incidents of theft and vandalism and the constructor has employed additional security. However, Minister De Lille has written to the minister on the 4th of April to request the deployment of SANDF staff to secure the border and that has been done.”
Meanwhile, the country has tested over 83 000 people and has 2272 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 13, 2020.
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