Crime, corruption in a forgotten border town

L ife in the border town of Musina is seemingly not for the faint-hearted. In a place where widespread corruption and crime are the apparent order of the day, residents are reportedly being terrorised by gangs of foreigners while bribery, human trafficking, cigarette and drug smuggling as well as relaxed border control measures are allegedly rife.
Having lived there for six years until February this year when she relocated to Thohoyandou to take up a position with the University of Venda as lecturer in law, Cynthia Mkhabele tells it like it is. While still in the employ of the Department of Home Affairs and stationed at its asylum office in Musina, Mkhabele conducted research for purposes of a thesis on the legal analysis of the application of corporate governance in Musina Local Municipality. The findings for her LLM degree studies through the University of Limpopo were finalised in 2014. Based on her research and the period residing there, she described the situation in Musina as disheartening. Since she had left things haven’t changed, she stressed in an interview with Polokwane Observer. To her it remained the most dangerous place to live in the entire South Africa. “It is the most evil place,” she emphatically stated. “What is going on there has made the institution of government to collapse. There are no morals there. It is so dangerous. And nobody talks about it.”

Speaking of a suffering community, she pointed out the fact that crime dominated in the outpost. According to Mkhabele resident gangs of guma-gumas (translated into thieves and consisting of unemployed but wealthy Zimbabwean nationals) were perceived to maintain a reign of terror in the community.
Out of fear of the constant criminal element and becoming a victim of rape, robbery or murder law-abiding citizens rather avoided the streets between 23:00 and 05:00, according to Mkhabele. Upon her arrival in town she had learnt the hard way that those not adhering to the unwritten golden rule of safety in Musina would fall victim to criminals, she said. She drew attention to the law of the land determining that all doors and windows have to be locked and keys kept out of doors to prevent access to one’s house at night. She further aired the opinion that the congested settlement of Rwanda is the most dangerous place in Musina, where crime occurs in broad daylight.
With poorly maintained border control, undocumented migrants seemingly had no trouble crossing into South Africa while others were allegedly involved in getting illicit drugs and cigarettes across the border in ambulances or Police vehicles, she remarked. While still working in the asylum office, it was a normal occurrence to see a foreigner deported in the morning only to have returned that same evening. She recalled how it demoralised immigration officials who took pride in their job. She continued to raise the opinion that it was terribly dangerous for Police members who were not corruptible to effect arrests, as the suspects might be linked to their colleagues.
According to Mkhabele it was common for law enforcers and teachers alike to possess stamps for illegally issuing documents to scores of recipients readily paying for the service, she alleged. Moreover black market money exchange was openly conducted on sidewalks in the town centre and at the entrance to the border post, she remarked.
She highlighted the fact that most services were being monopolised by outsiders, most especially land and trade opportunities. Land in town had become a very expensive commodity, according to Mkhabele, and land owners were often foreign nationals who would get their hands on property to develop, leaving them with the opportunity to charge an arm and a leg for rental spaces.
In conclusion she expressed concern over the future of the people of Musina, because in her mind there was no one to defend them against the evil. “The story must be published and the President must see what is happening there.”

Story and photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com

Featured photo: You don’t argue with a man with a gun… Child’s play in a crime hotspot where residents are seemingly living in constant fear of being raped, robbed or murdered.