- Border control collapse fuels organised crime, threatening the park, tourism, and agriculture.
- Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) risk threatens agricultural exports.
- Mapungubwe’s survival is at stake.
The DA in Limpopo has formally written to the Premier Pophi Ramathuba, urging her to mobilise government resources without delay to address the total collapse of border control near Mapungubwe National Park. This failure has fuelled a surge in organised smuggling syndicates that operate with impunity, exploiting the incapacity of safety and security forces that appear either unable—or unwilling—to act. As a result, the integrity and very existence of the park, and the sustainability of tourism and agriculture, are now in grave danger.
We have also called for an urgent joint fact-finding mission involving the Agricultural, LEDET, and Safety & Security portfolio committees of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature to assess the crisis and witness firsthand the rampant lawlessness and its devastating consequences.
This dire situation—the complete breakdown of border control between South Africa and Zimbabwe, the rise of brazen criminal networks, and the glaring impotence of our safety and security forces—was laid bare at a recent meeting convened by agricultural and tourism stakeholders. Representatives from SAPS, SANDF, BMA, and various government departments attended in search of solutions. Although there was verbal commitment to collaborate with the private sector, their lack of resources and inability to act was starkly exposed.
Organised syndicates are smuggling illicit cigarettes from Zimbabwe, but an even greater concern is the commercial smuggling of goats, raising the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The impact could cripple South Africa’s agricultural export sector. Alarmingly, these syndicates seem to possess fraudulent veterinary certificates, pointing to collusion with government officials.
Stolen vehicles are also being trafficked through this corridor into Zimbabwe. Farmers report intimidation and threats from syndicates that operate with impunity—some even using drones to monitor law enforcement and local communities.
The collapse of border control has turned Mapungubwe into a smuggling route and placed the park’s survival at risk. The absence of fencing and monitoring has led to:
- A growing influx of elephants from Zimbabwe, straining the ecosystem;
• Illegal herding of livestock into the park for grazing, putting the integrity of the park at risk;
• Theft and vandalism of park infrastructure; and
• Night poaching and predator poisoning, threatening biodiversity – there are no known lions left in the park.
The Greater Mapungubwe region—home to a National Park, World Heritage Site and part of Unesco’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve—is not just a just an area rich in diverse ecosystems, species and cultural resources, but also a key pillar of Limpopo’s tourism and agricultural economy. Yet, poor governance has rendered the state incapable of protecting it.
The DA will do everything possible to reverse this decline. We will not stand by while lawlessness, government negligence, and criminal syndicates endanger our people, our economy, and one of South Africa’s most treasured heritage sites.