Gigaba warns SANDF underfunding threatens South Africa’s border security

Dr Malusi Gigaba is raising concerns about the impact of underfunding on the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

During an oversight visit to the South Africa-Zimbabwe border in Limpopo, Gigaba said the lack of resources was having a direct effect on ongoing border management failures.

He made the comments in his role as chair of Parliament’s joint standing committee on defence.

Last week, it emerged that 91 of the passengers on board the bus that crashed in Limpopo earlier this month, killing 42 people, had no identification documents.

"It's about the ability of, not only the SANDF, but other agencies, to maintain the territorial integrity of our country, to prevent the entry into South Africa of undocumented people."

Gigaba is calling on those people who have entered South Africa illegally to be prosecuted.

"You have to ensure that those who have been caught trying to enter the country are taken through the criminal justice system."

The current problem, said Gigaba, was too few boots on the ground.

"You do not have enough numbers of soldiers, they don't have enough equipment, including technology, that would enable them to take on this mammoth task."

He said that greater funding was urgently needed to combat the problem of undocumented migration into South Africa.

"You need to improve collaboration between South Africa and our neighbours," he said.

To listen to Gigaba in conversation with The Midday Report's Mandy Weiner, use the audio player below: