SANDF control of the Northern and Eastern border areas of South Africa

This research paper outlines the transition of border security responsibilities in South Africa, detailing the shift from the South African Police to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the formalization of the SANDF's role in patrolling international borders to prevent the illegal movement of people and goods.

• Border security responsibilities shifted from the South African Police (SAP) to the South African Police Service (SAPS) under the 1993 Interim Constitution, but the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was subsequently deployed to support the SAPS due to rising crime. At the time of the report, the SANDF's presence on international borders consisted of five aircraft and 28 infantry companies.
• A formal agreement signed on 10 June 1998 between the SANDF and the SAPS designated the SANDF as the entity responsible for borderline protection. While technically defined as a support role for the SAPS and other departments to combat crime, the SANDF in practice conducts patrols without direct support from those departments to prevent the unfettered movement of goods and people between border posts.

APA

Hennop, E. (n.d.). SANDF control of the Northern and Eastern border areas of South Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/sandf-control-of-the-northern-and-eastern-border-areas-of-south-africa

Chicago

Hennop, Ettienne. SANDF control of the Northern and Eastern border areas of South Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/sandf-control-of-the-northern-and-eastern-border-areas-of-south-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hennop |first1=Ettienne |title=SANDF control of the Northern and Eastern border areas of South Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/sandf-control-of-the-northern-and-eastern-border-areas-of-south-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hennopndsandf, author = {Hennop, Ettienne}, title = {{SANDF control of the Northern and Eastern border areas of South Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/sandf-control-of-the-northern-and-eastern-border-areas-of-south-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }