One way of measuring if a police function or unit is delivering positive results, is to gauge its success based on the numbers of arrests, seizures, investigations in hand and those successfully completed. In determining the effectiveness of land border controls in South Africa, the results of firearm seizures and arrests by SAPS Border Police Head Office are used.

The seizure of illegal firearms does not necessarily mean that there are increased numbers of these firearms available, but it may mean that the police are stepping up their attempts to uncover these arms and are improving their capabilities in this regard. The statistics available from the SAPS Land Border Police Head Office indicate that arrests and firearm seizures are increasing.

Figure 4 shows a steady increase in arrests and firearm seizures by Border Police Units. In 1998 and 1999, a dramatic increase in arrests and firearm seizures is clear, which may also be seen as an increase in the smuggling of firearms across national borders, as well as an increase in productivity by border police units and border posts. The statistics of the border police for 2000, especially with the new detachment duty started at ‘hotspots’, should show whether this positive trend will continue. The figures presented here include all ports of entry into South Africa and not only the country’s land borders.

When considering provincial seizures during 1999 (figure 5), it is notable that KwaZulu-Natal had the highest seizure and arrest rate of all the provinces. The province with the next highest level of seizures is Mpumalanga followed by the Western Cape. Both KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga border Mozambique and Swaziland, which are known as the major areas from where firearms are illegally entering South Africa. The Northern Province, Gauteng and Northern Cape border police showed the lowest firearm arrest and seizure rates during this period.

Firearm-related arrest and seizure figures for the first three months of 2000 show again that KwaZulu-Natal is the province with the most success in uncovering illegal firearms (see figure 6). Gauteng shows the second highest rate for arrests only, while the Northern Cape, Northern Province, North-West and Western Cape show no arrests and seizures at all.

Crossborder operations

In 1994, South Africa and Mozambique identified a common enemy in the form of the availability of illegal firearms. One of the successful ways of combating this scourge is joint operations to control the illegal entry of firearms into South Africa, called Operations Rachel. A formal co-operation agreement between South Africa and Mozambique was put in place to address small arms proliferation between the two countries through a series of joint operations. These operations are conducted by the police services of both countries and arms caches are destroyed in Mozambique in an effort to stem the flow of arms to the illegal market in South Africa. In the first four operations, a total of 11 997 firearms were destroyed.1 Further operations will cover the whole of Mozambique, including the most remote northern parts of the country. The European Union donated ECU 200 000 in 2000 for the continuation of Operations Rachel.

Figures released by the SAPS on the seizure of AK-47 assault rifles indicate a decrease over the last few years, believed to be partially due to the successes of Operations Rachel.

Besides Mozambique, Namibia is the next most significant external source of firearms to South Africa. No formal programme of co-operation exists between Namibia and South Africa, but an informal working group involved in joint operations and intelligence sharing has been in place for some time.2 The sharing of information is crucial in any crime-fighting initiative, but it seems as if communications have collapsed between South African police officers and their counterparts in Namibia, especially on firearm-smuggling.

Statistics derived from the two case studies: KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape

In both case studies, three individual border posts were identified in a particular area. These are not the only border posts in these areas or provinces, but are the closest to one another (see figure 7).

Northern KwaZulu-Natal

In KwaZulu-Natal, only three of the nine land border posts were visited. None of the seaports or airports were included in the study.

The three KwaZulu-Natal border posts included in the research are Kosi Bay, Golela and Onverwacht.

The number of seizures provided in figure 7 is a reflection of the size, personnel, resources and volume of traffic moving through the three border posts. Of the three, Golela is the biggest and the only one with ‘A’ class status, while the other two are classified as ‘B’ class border posts. Golela has the most personnel, nearly double that of Onverwacht and seven times more than Kosi Bay. With more resources and personnel than the other two border posts, it is obvious that it will have more seizures than the other two. The Golela and Onverwacht border posts are geographically close to each other and can draw on each other’s resources to combine forces against crossborder crimes, but the same cannot be said of Kosi Bay. Kosi Bay is in a very remote area and has difficulty in combining forces with the other two border posts in fighting crossborder crime. A combined task team consisting of members of the SAPS and SANDF was created recently to address crossborder crime in the Jozini/Kosi Bay area. This structure is functional, and it will be informative to monitor the task team’s arrests and seizures independently.

A large number of firearms are handed in for safekeeping before travellers leave South Africa to enter either Swaziland or Mozambique. The largest number of firearms handed in during 1998 and 1999 were at the Golela border post followed by Kosi Bay and Onverwacht. It is no surprise that Golela showed the largest number of firearms handed in, but it was interesting that Kosi Bay had double the number of firearms handed in compared to the Onverwacht border post. This may be as a result of the recent attacks on tourists in northern KwaZulu-Natal and the high rate of hijackings in the Black Rock area that travellers feel more safe travelling with firearms through the area to Mozambique.

It can also be concluded that the police at these three border posts are asking travellers if they have firearms with them and informing them that they are not allowed to take these firearms into neighbouring countries. Only Kosi Bay has fined a traveller for not declaring his/her firearm at the border post in the period 1998/1999. Kosi Bay is also the only border post that seized a firearm from the legal owner for not declaring it at the border post in the same period.

Figure 9 indicates the total number of crime prevention operations undertaken in 1998 and 1999 by the personnel of the Onverwacht, Golela and Kosi Bay border posts. These crime prevention operations did not solely concentrate on the seizure of firearms, but were focused on illegal immigrants and the seizure of smuggled goods. However, firearms are often seized as part of border crime prevention operations. If more emphasis was placed on the finding of illegal firearms, as opposed to stolen vehicles, perhaps more illegal firearms could be located. In order to find illegal firearms, the police involved in the roadblock would need to know how to undertake a search of a vehicle specifically for the location of firearms.

It was mentioned by one of the border police officers that four-fifths of all seizures occurred away from the actual border post itself. Personnel at the Onverwacht border post are taking the lead in crime prevention operations, which mainly consist of roadblocks on the roads leading to the border post or into Pongola. The Onverwacht border police realised that criminals involved in crossborder crime avoided the actual border post to move their goods across the border, and for this reason increased roadblocks in an around Pongola.

Northern Cape

In the Northern Cape, only three of the nine land border posts were studied. The Northern Cape does not have an official seaport and has only one international airport.

The three border posts included in the case study in the Northern Cape were Alexander Bay, Vioolsdrift and Nakop.

The number of seizures in figure 10 reflects the size, personnel and resources available to these two border posts. Vioolsdrift and Nakop are the biggest border posts in the province, while Alexander Bay is very small especially in terms of personnel compared to the other two. The volume of people moving through Vioolsdrift and Nakop is bigger than at Alexander Bay, but the value of goods moving through Alexander Bay is the same if not greater than that of the other two border posts. Both Vioolsdrift and Nakop are ‘A’ class border posts, while Alexander Bay is a ‘B’ class border post. All three border posts are very far from one another. Alexander Bay and Vioolsdrift concentrate their efforts on fighting crossborder crimes. At all three border posts concern was expressed about legal firearms exiting and entering South Africa without being declared by their owners as required by law.

No data is available on the number of crime prevention operations undertaken by the individual border posts and the number of firearm seizures during such operations.

There was no data available from the Alexander Bay border post at the time of writing. Thus, only statistical data from Vioolsdrift and Nakop have been included in this section.

Again, a large number of firearms are declared at these border posts. It is believed that a high number of firearms are declared and handed in at this border post per year. The high rates of declarations made at these border posts may also be contributed to hunters going on hunting trips to Namibia.

At the Vioolsdrift border post, 23 fines were given to individuals for not declaring their legally held firearms at the border post. A total of 1 046 firearms were held by the border police because they were not allowed into the neighbouring country as travellers’ export permits were not in order. These firearms are not seized or confiscated, but are handed back to owners on their return.

At the Nakop border post, no fines were given to travellers and no firearms were held because they were not allowed into Namibia.

Trends in the effectiveness of border control and factors informing these trends

From 1995 when police statistics became more reliable than before, there was an increase in the arrests related to, and seizures of, firearms on the international borders of South Africa. This increase indicates that there is both an increase in firearms moving across the country’s borders and that the border police are seizing increasing numbers of firearms every year, albeit with limited capacity and resources. Statistics for the first three months of 2000 show that the upward trend in firearm seizures is continuing.

The implementation of the new detached duty initiative with police officers undertaking six-month assignments in ‘hotspot’ areas may have a positive effect on the seizure of firearms and other illegal goods being smuggled across the international borders of South Africa. An independent evaluation of the new detached duty initiative by the ISS is under way, and if it shows positive outcomes, it can also be implemented in other border areas in the Southern African region.

In 1995, the border police were responsible for 33 arrests and 64 seizures of illegal firearms compared to 266 arrests and the seizure of 183 illegal firearms in 1999. That is an increase of 87.6% in arrests and a 65% increase in illegal firearm seizures over four years. Looking at the condition of some of the border posts compared to the increase in seizures, it is a miracle that some border posts seize firearms at all. One of the reasons for this success is that some border police officers know they have to do the job with the resources that are available. All they need further is some positive encouragement and recognition for their achievements. The seizures of firearms do not look promising if it is taken into account that there are approximately 70 international ports of entry into South Africa and that only 183 illegal firearms were seized at these ports of entry in 1999.

Although firearm-related crime, including the proliferation of firearms, is a priority according to the SAPS, it is not the only crossborder crime that is increasing. The smuggling of drugs, motor vehicles and illegal immigrants, to name but a few, also confronts the understaffed border police units and posts. What makes matters worse is the recent closure of the border police internal tracing units. These units were responsible for the detection and tracing of illegal immigrants, goods and contraband already inside the country. With no other police or departmental unit yet in place to take over this task, a further loss of tax income to South Africa will occur. The understanding is that these units will undergo name and other structural changes in the near future.

KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of illegal firearm seizures and arrests by the border police compared to the other case study area, the Northern Cape. In KwaZulu-Natal, there have been 154 seizures of illegal firearms by the border police compared to eight seizures by the Northern Cape border police during 1999. When the seizures of illegal firearms by the Illegal Firearm Investigation Units (IFIU)3 of the two provinces for 1999 are compared with each other, there is again a huge difference with KwaZulu-Natal at 11 115 seizures compared to 148 seizures by Northern Cape units.

It is known that illegal firearms in KwaZulu-Natal are originating from different sources and not only from foreign sources. With the seizure of well over 500 AK-47s in KwaZulu-Natal in 1999, it is clear that all of them could not have originated from within South Africa. In the Northern Cape, there has been no seizures of AK-47s in 1999. But with the vast open areas and the lack of manpower to patrol and police the border areas, it is not impossible for AK-47s to have crossed into South Africa. There is also a history of AK-47s moved by trucks from northern Namibia into South Africa. With the possibility of peace in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo and current reports of rebels and Angolan soldiers selling their assault rifles in northern Namibia, it is believed that the availability of firearms from these areas to the illegal markets in South Africa will increase. The head of the SAPS Illegal Firearm Investigation Head Office, Senior Superintendent Joubert, expressed the following warning about the movement of illegal firearms to South Africa if peace would come to Angola: "When the war ends, there will be a lot of hungry people looking for an income. The weapons will come flooding into South Africa. It will not be a happy day."4 If this is the prediction by firearm specialists in the SAPS, then it must be a priority of the SAPS to train and provide the necessary resources to the border police on the country’s northernmost borders in preparation of an increase in the smuggling of firearms when peace is made in these countries.

It is already clear from the arrest and seizure numbers that there is an increase in the flow of illegal firearms across South Africa’s international borders. The flow is not as big as it was maybe ten years ago, but the fear is expressed by senior police officers that, when peace and stability are established in some Southern African countries currently involved in internal conflicts, this may change and the flow of firearms into South Africa will increase. Current structures involved in border control in South Africa therefore need to be assisted and personnel should be trained to be more effective in handling this anticipated inflow of illegal firearms into the country.

Notes

M Chachiua, Arms Management Programme: Operations Rachel 1996-1999, ISS Monograph 38, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, June 1999.



J Potgieter, The price of war and peace: A critical assessment of the disarmament component of United Nations Operations in Southern Africa, in V Gamba (ed), Governing arms: The Southern African experience, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, 2000, pp 29-59.



The Illegal Firearm Investigation Units were integrated into the Serious and Violent Crime Unit, Detective Service early in 2001.



J Steinberg, Detectives in pursuit of Cold War’s weaponry, Business Day, 19 July 1999.