News / National
Anxious Zimbabwean migrants, smugglers watch South Africa's election
19 May 2024 at 07:49hrs | Views
An oMalaicha, or cross-border driver, gets ready to take goods from Zimbabwe to South Africa [Courtesy of GroundUp]
A Toyota Hilux with South African plates parks on the roadside in Nkwana village in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South province and honks its horn.
An elderly woman makes her way to the car where the driver hands her parcels containing groceries, a blanket and a small envelope with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The driver, Thulani Ncube, 42, whose real name we are not using to protect his identity, is "oMalaicha", an Ndebele word for the cross-border drivers who ferry goods between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Fortnightly, he makes deliveries to villagers in the border region - most of it smuggled.
"There are goods we declare, but some we smuggle them in and out," Ncube told Al Jazeera.
"With most of our clients in low-paying jobs in South Africa and in the villages in Zimbabwe, we don't want to add extra charges included in declaration of goods, so bribes come into play at border controls."
Zimbabweans have been fleeing across the border into South Africa for decades - most as a result of political crisis, harsh economic conditions and chronic underdevelopment at home.
There are more than a million Zimbabweans living in South Africa, according to the country's census data and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which also notes that many have entered the country without proper documentation.
The situation has created business opportunities for Malaicha, who not only smuggle goods but also people wanting to enter South Africa illegally.
Ncube, who has been oMalaicha for 11 years, said he charges "one beast" - one cattle, or the equivalent cost of $300-$400 - per person he takes across.
But now, with South Africa's upcoming general election on May 29, a vote expected to be the most competitive one since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, Ncube is worried about what the outcome may mean for business.
What he is sure about, he said, is that even if the next government tightens South Africa's immigration policy, he will not stop his work but move it further underground.
Connected across borders
In Gohole village, 161km (100 miles) from the Beitbridge border with South Africa, village head Courage Moyo, 64, stays glued to his television these days, closely watching election debates and developments in the neighbouring country.
An elderly woman makes her way to the car where the driver hands her parcels containing groceries, a blanket and a small envelope with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The driver, Thulani Ncube, 42, whose real name we are not using to protect his identity, is "oMalaicha", an Ndebele word for the cross-border drivers who ferry goods between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Fortnightly, he makes deliveries to villagers in the border region - most of it smuggled.
"There are goods we declare, but some we smuggle them in and out," Ncube told Al Jazeera.
"With most of our clients in low-paying jobs in South Africa and in the villages in Zimbabwe, we don't want to add extra charges included in declaration of goods, so bribes come into play at border controls."
Zimbabweans have been fleeing across the border into South Africa for decades - most as a result of political crisis, harsh economic conditions and chronic underdevelopment at home.
There are more than a million Zimbabweans living in South Africa, according to the country's census data and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which also notes that many have entered the country without proper documentation.
The situation has created business opportunities for Malaicha, who not only smuggle goods but also people wanting to enter South Africa illegally.
Ncube, who has been oMalaicha for 11 years, said he charges "one beast" - one cattle, or the equivalent cost of $300-$400 - per person he takes across.
But now, with South Africa's upcoming general election on May 29, a vote expected to be the most competitive one since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, Ncube is worried about what the outcome may mean for business.
What he is sure about, he said, is that even if the next government tightens South Africa's immigration policy, he will not stop his work but move it further underground.
Connected across borders
In Gohole village, 161km (100 miles) from the Beitbridge border with South Africa, village head Courage Moyo, 64, stays glued to his television these days, closely watching election debates and developments in the neighbouring country.
Source - Al Jazeera
