"The R37 million Beitbridge fence that was constructed last year will not be repaired," the minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Ms Patricia de Lille, told the press on 16 March during a question-and-answer session at the National Council of Provinces.
De Lille said that the fence would have to be replaced completely.
The purpose of the border fence was to stop migrants from coming into South Africa via illegal routes. This, however, served no purpose in the end, as migrants merely broke the fence and continued to enter the country.
The MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, accompanied by the executive mayor of Vhembe, Cllr Dowelani Nenguda, the mayor of Musina, Cllr Mihloti Muhlope, the general officer commanding Limpopo Province, Brigadier-General TE Mulaudzi, Musina SAPS cluster commander Brigadier van der Walt and a chief director of the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, Ms Mulaudzi, toured the 40 km fence last year to inspect its condition and effectiveness. Several holes existed along the fence and it was taken down partially on the western side.
De Lille explained why the fence will not be repaired. "The acting director-general of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure sent a technical condition assessment team to the Beitbridge border in December last year to assess the extent of the border fence's inefficiencies and breaches. The team discovered that the fence, in its current form, is not fit for purpose. It is non-compliant with the specification. The department has decided not to undertake any repairs or maintenance to the existing fence. It will lead to irregular expenditure."
De Lille continued to say that any further border fence initiatives would be investigated by the integrated border management for a solution.
In a statement issued by the Parliamentary Communications Services last year in September, the technical condition team were of the view that the material used for the construction of the fence had been substandard and the construction not in line with the prescribed specifications of the fence's construction project.