Abstract
This chapter argues that the securitisation and the spatial mobility of borders beyond the physical line on the map into the interior of states, such as the case of South Africa so as to monitor and “border” migrants between neighbouring countries, are counterproductive. This is precisely because these migrants come from member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). On this basis, this chapter calls for border management strategies which should reduce the impact of the border—both actual and symbolic, so as to create decent conditions for migrants to live and earn livelihoods as regional citizens of SADC.
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Notes
- 1.
The Limpopo River forms a natural boundary between Limpopo Province, in Northern South Africa and Southern Zimbabwe.
- 2.
Beitbridge is a town in Zimbabwe, situated at the border with South Africa.
- 3.
Impisi is a hyena, which is “a carnivorous dog-like species of animal, native to parts of both Africa and Asia. There are four known species of hyena: the spotted hyena, the striped hyena, the brown hyena and the aardwolf. Hyenas are scavenger mammals meaning that the hyena tends to eat another animal’s kill, rather than the hyena actually catching its own food. Retrieved from: https://a-z-animals.com/animals/hyena/. Perhaps like and true to the nature of hyenas, the impisi are opportunistic criminals who capitalise on defenseless migrants.
- 4.
Italics in original.
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Moyo, I. (2020). Migration and the Spatial Mobility of Borders in the Southern African Region. In: Nshimbi, C., Moyo, I. (eds) Borders, Mobility, Regional Integration and Development. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42890-7_9
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