BUSINESS owners near the KwaZulu-Natal and eSwatini border say they are not concerned about security, despite recent developments that sparked fears in the region.
Last month, the United States deported five alleged criminals to eSwatini, saying their own countries did not want them back. The move took citizens and politicians in the country by surprise and raised concerns that the Maximum prison was secure enough to prevent the men from getting away. Political and security experts have warned that if the men escape, they could easily flee to neighbouring South Africa.
However, when the Independent on Saturday spoke to business owners in the area, many of them were unaware of the recent deportations but said that they were not worried.
Adrian Chaning-Pearce, a farmer and head of the Pongola Community Police Forum, said law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border were highly effective.
“We have nothing to worry about right now, and the eSwatini police and defence force are even less forgiving than the South Africans,” he said.
But others expressed concern.
Brian Sangweni, spokesperson for Pudemo, an opposition party in eSwatini, noted that there have been multiple jailbreaks from the country’s maximum-security prison. The most recent escape was in May.
“Given the historical ties between the two countries, many families live on either side of the border and visit each other daily,” he said. “The informal settlements and porous border make it easy for the five men to escape if they wish.”
Sangweni said that statistics show that many people who commit crimes and evade justice in eSwatini, flee to South Africa.
“If our weak prison system fails to contain these individuals, it could pose a serious threat to South Africans, especially since these men are said to be extremely dangerous.”
Martin Ewi from the Institute for Security Studies said that the two countries should work together to monitor the situation.
He said it was crucial that the security agencies research who these men were, what they did in the US and what networks they belonged to.
“Are they individuals that can cause problems? Are they criminals as such? Can they seriously exploit the criminal situation in South Africa or even aggravate the situation?”
Ewi said it was unknown what agreement had been made between the US and eSwatini. The fact that Africa was saddled with men who were considered to be “rejects” in developed nations did not look good for the continent’s image. It was demeaning and portrayed African countries as “stooges”, said Ewi.
“I think even at the level of the African Union, we should start taking action. We've seen cases where dangerous waste has been dumped in Africa, which caused untold suffering, and has brought all sorts of illnesses. So Africa, as a region, as a continent, needs to take action against these kinds of transactions that really demean us. They make us look very bad, very inhuman.”
Meanwhile, IOL yesterday reported that a seasoned Eswatini human rights lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi has launched a High Court bid to gain access to five men. Nhlabatsi is reportedly challenging the prison authorities' refusal to allow him to meet and consult with the detained men who apparently want to challenge their presence in eSwatini.