SA-Mozambique ‘border wall’: First phase of 25km project nears completion at R85m

A concrete division between Mozambique and South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is inching toward completion.  

Designed to combat crime, the border barrier project is meant to cover 25km of the northeastern wilderness of KZN.

Having been signed off in 2018, the project has hit several snags, with officials reporting this week that 7.4km of phase one had been completed thus far.

Phase 1 completion by early 2025

KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma gave an update on Wednesday, outlining the project’s recovery plan.

The Special Investigating Unit were called in after the Department of Public Works confirmed a whistleblower’s report that claimed R48 million had been paid to two contractors for less than a kilometre of the barrier.

The ‘wall’ is made up of jersey barriers, which are t-shaped concrete blocks that are often seen blocking off roads.

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The blocks vary in design but the MEC made no mention of the height of the wall

As for cost, the national government had earlier confirmed that phase one, a length of 8km, was R85 million.

The spokesperson for the Member of the Executive Council (MEC), Ndabazinhle Sibiya, confirmed to The Citizen that Mozambique was not required to contribute financially to the wall’s construction.  

18km to go

Phase one runs for 8km between the border gate in Kosi Bay and the Tembe Elephant Park and should be complete in early 2025.

Thereafter, phase two covers 8km of the area west of iSimangaliso Wetland Park and phase three links Phongolo River and the western edge of the elephant park with 9km more of concrete.

The MEC said they were being cautious not to damage the biodiversity of the sensitive wetlands that cover the northeastern corner of the province.

Local benefits

As with all projects, local subcontractors have benefited, with 40 artisans having been trained under the National Youth Service Programme.

As a cost-cutting measure, the resident engineer for the project is one of the department’s candidate engineers working towards his registration as a Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

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