Rape and abuse of women rife in border jumping syndicates

By Lance Guma
16 May 2006

The tragedy of the economic and political crisis rocking Zimbabwe came to the fore again as the bodies of 13 border jumpers were retrieved from the Limpopo River that forms the border with South Africa. State media reports say 8 of the bodies have so far been positively identified as Zimbabwean. The other 5 bodies are yet to have their identities established. Newsreel managed to interview a border jumper who entered South Africa via the same river a few months back and he narrated just how the syndicates running the operations are doing it. Particularly disturbing from his narration is how female border jumpers have to contend with rape and sexual abuse from those ‘helping’ them cross the border.

Zimbabweans who entered South Africa in the 80’s are mainly behind the operations as they draw from their immense experience in the country. Known as ‘Malaitshas’ they house their clients in houses situated in places like Gwabalanda and Sizinda in Bulawayo. Over 2 week periods the numbers are built up to make a full load before they are transferred to a Caltex and BP garage 3km from the border in Beitbridge. Syndicates on both sides of the border at Musina and Beitbridge then liaise the crossing dates and points of entry through the river. The Zimbabwean syndicate gets 300 rand per person while their South African counterparts get 500 rand per person.

Patrols by the South African and Zimbabwean defence forces by helicopter on the border are placed in a logbook and the Malaitshas know exactly when the patrols are due. According to our contact this is where the abuse of women border jumpers takes place. Many are raped or sexually assaulted and have no recourse to the law because of their ‘illegal status.’ Last year in November a young girl from the mining town of Kadoma was raped by one of the ‘Malaitshas’ during a 7 day period in which they slept in the bush waiting for the tide of the river to go down. Although she managed to cross into South Africa she died four months later after trying to abort a pregnancy conceived from the rape.

The actual crossing of the river is done through the use of chains. As many as 30 people at a time hold onto a chain while they are pulled to the other side of the river. Not only do they have to negotiate a heavy infestation of crocodiles but also a serious tide can rise after heavy rains in Mozambique sweeping many to their death. Our contact says people would rather risk their lives in the crocodile infested river than stay behind in the country to suffer the consequences of an economic meltdown caused by disastrous political decisions.

A few months back there were reports that over 60 people had drowned in the Limpopo River while trying to cross into South Africa. It was even reported that joint operations by the South African and Zimbabwean police had failed to retrieve any bodies. The story was dismissed as a hoax with the South Africans denying any knowledge of joint operations. As the water levels of that same river began to fall last week bodies were discovered in an advanced state of decomposition. No one knows yet if the bodies discovered are related to reports of the 60 who allegedly drowned in January. What is worrying however are suggestions that more bodies might be discovered as search operations continue.

According to official estimates 200 Zimbabweans are deported from South Africa everyday. As the world obsesses itself with the figures of those who have drowned or been deported, Zimbabwean women trying to cross the border have the added burden of being silent victims of their own male counterparts.