The South African Army is currently only patrolling 55km of borderline. SA has a land border of 4862 kilometres.
The defence department in answer to a question asked in Parliament by Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said one infantry company was currently deployed at Musina.
From there it patrols “along the RSA/Zimbabwe border on either side of the Beit Bridge border post from Sand River in the east to 25km west of Beit Bridge, a front of 55 kilometres.”
The answer adds that the Army halted its withdrawal from borderline control duties on March 17.
“At present one company remains deployed in the Limpopo Province. … The continued deployment was in response to a request from the South African Police that the SANDF maintain a borderline presence until after Soccer World Cup 2010.
“Authorisation to do so until 31 March 2010 was provided vide Presidential Minute 549/2009 dated April 29, 2009,” the answer adds.
Defence force sources who cannot be named as they may not speak to the media without minders say it is not clear how a single company patrolling a 55km stretch o border can contribute to World Cup safety.
They say properly patrolling SA`s land borders will require at least 20 infantry companies.
Cabinet decided in 2005 to return borderline control to the police and the handover was meant to have been completed by March 31 this year.
