ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ettienne Hennop, Clare Jefferson and Andrew McLean undertook the fieldwork and analysis of the opinion surveys that formed the core of the research project. Ettienne’s experience as a former member of the SAPS contributed greatly to the understanding of the difficulty of working conditions at border posts and assisted in understanding the dimensions of crossborder crimes.

The assistance and co-operation given to ISS researchers by the SAPS, in particular from the SAPS Border Police Head Office in Pretoria made this research possible. The following SAPS members are acknowledged for the positive and co-operative role they played in the project:

Director A N van der Westhuizen, Operational Head, Border Police, Border Police Head Office, Pretoria.



Senior Superintendent Deon Beneke, National Head, Land Borders, Border Police Head Office, Pretoria. Superintendent Beneke went out of his way to support the ISS in this research project and assisted the researchers in visits to border posts and the provision of statistics on short notice.



Superintendent Jopie Crous, National Land Borders, Border Police Head Office, Pretoria. Superintendent Crous travelled with researchers to the Northern Cape and facilitated interviews with border police officials in the region.



Captain Barry van den Heever, Commander of the Vioolsdrift border post and the personnel at the Vioolsdrift border post.



Captain van Rensburg, Commander of the Vryheid Illegal Firearm Investigation Unit. Captain van Rensburg travelled from Vryheid to Pongola to meet the ISS researchers on very short notice.



Captain Chris Pretorius, SAPS Air-wing, Wonderboom Airport, flew the research team to and from the Northern Cape.



Inspector Calitz, from the Kosi Bay border post and personnel at the border post.



Inspector Bruwer, Commander of the Onverwacht border post near Pongola and the personnel of the border post.



Inspector Wolf, Acting Commander at the Nakop border post at the time of the fieldwork, and a permanent investigator from the Narcotics Unit in Upington, and the personnel at the border post.



Inspector Truter, Commander of the Alexander Bay border post and the personnel at the border post, as well as police officials doing detached duties at the time of the fieldwork.



Sergeant Willem Mulder, National Land Borders, Border Police Head Office, Pretoria. Sergeant Mulder accompanied Superintendent Crous and the researchers to the Northern Cape.

The SAPS can be proud of these police officers who are making a difference in fulfilling their duty to serve and protect their communities to the best of their capabilities.

Acknowledgement must also be given to the following persons, organisations and communities whose assistance made the field research possible:

Gale Wannenburg of the Network of Independent Monitors (NIM) and her colleagues who assisted the researchers in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.



The Community policing forums (CPFs) in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.



SANDF soldiers in the northern KwaZulu-Natal area on patrol at the borderline who were willing to be interviewed by the researchers.