Zikalala says Public Works Department will address failures at Beitbridge border fence

Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala says the controversial Beitbridge border fence which was erected under his predecessor – the now Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille – was a total disaster.

Zikalala was speaking to The Citizen during his inspection of the Beitbridge border on Tuesday.

The 40-kilometre fence cost tax payers R40 million in 2020, however, little to none of it is remaining today.

Wasteful expenditure at Beitbridge

It was also found that the border fence was not fit for purpose and there was wasteful expenditure during its construction.

Investigations found that the government paid R17 million more than the market-related cost for the fence.

No one has yet been held accountable for the ramshackle fence.

ALSO READ: De Lille blames defence minister for delays in turning Beitbridge ‘washing line’ into a fence

According to local residents, the fence was being stolen by illegal immigrants to fence their kraals in Zimbabwe.

Zikalala said it was clear that the fence was not properly planned nor contextualised.

“We will allow the broader management team to develop a plan on how to deal with the situation,” he said.

Difficulties faced by SANDF

Colonel Dalton from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) showed Zikalala around an existing fence and explained how difficult it was for them to patrol the area.

Watch: Colonel Dalton explains how illegal items cross the Beitbridge border

Colonel Radzilani SAPS Port Manager, Senior Manager SARS Memory Ndou and Colonel Dalton SANDF explains to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala how stolen cars and illegal cigarettes are #Zimbabwe and South Africa @TheCitizen_News #beitbridgeborder pic.twitter.com/HzVHvR9gMq

— Lunga_mzangwe (@lunga_mzangwe) April 4, 2023

Dalton also showed Zikalala how cars, cigarettes, illegal bombs, illegal immigrants and other illegal items cross the fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

ALSO READ: Two suspects bust with 247 explosives near Beitbridge border

Zikalala said his department will take steps to fix the problems around the border fence. He also wants action taken against those responsible for the failures.

“It is one of those projects that have not gone well for the government. We have said we are not going to accept any wrongdoing but we are going to attend to failures and ensure that where they are we improve,” he said.

“We want to see what steps can be taken going forward either to replace or rebuild where necessary and to ensure that we follow and execute consequence management on those who did not do right.”

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