The government of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has resumed the construction of a concrete wall along the border between South Africa and Mozambique, supposedly to stop the theft of motor vehicles and the movement of illicit goods, after years of delays.

According to the South African platform DefenceWebThe KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Roads and Transport has authorized 50 million rands (2.6 million dollars at the current exchange rate) for the manufacture and placement of concrete barrier units (jersey barriers) along a stretch of the border between South Africa and Mozambique.

"In a briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) on March 6, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government gave an update on the progress of construction in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in northern KZN, where more than five kilometers of border wall have already been completed," reads the platform.

Initially, the eight-kilometer project had been suspended in 2021, pending the conclusion of an investigation by the Special Investigation Unit into the 85.7 million rand tender awarded to ISF Construction and Shula Construction by the KZN Department of Transport.

Following environmental impact assessments and "pressure from the population that was triggered by the murder of prominent community leaders who opposed crime syndicates stealing vehicles and crossing them into Mozambique, the KZN Department of Transport appointed a contractor to complete the outstanding Phase One works. The project started on November 17, 2023 and will last 12 months."

According to the South African authorities, Phase One, which comprises the eight-kilometer-long barrier near the Tembe Elephant Park, will be followed by Phase Two, which covers eight kilometers near the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, and Phase Three, which covers nine kilometers from the western edge of the Tembe Elephant Park towards the Pongolo River. Phases Two and Three are estimated to cost 270 million rand and will last 24 months, starting in September 2024, but discussions have yet to be finalized.

"As far as Phase One is concerned, construction work on the ground is currently underway. The impact of the project has been positively received by the community and the South African National Defense Force," reads the DPWI and KZN presentation.

New concrete barriers are being placed at locations identified by South African National Defense Force soldiers on border protection duty as being heavily used by vehicle thieves.