TUNNEL VISION

September 2000

26’43mins

Script

2.03

In the remote border crossing in the electric fence that separates Mozambique and South Africa is closed. For many years this tunnel linked the Mlambo people divided by the border. Tonight on Special Assignment we bring you the human drama of a climate once more torn apart.

2.25

TITLE: SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT

In 1987 an electric fence was built between Mozambique and South Africa, it ran right through the land of the Mlambo people, creating an inpenetratable barrier and splitting the clan in two. The defence force came up with a plan to counter the bad press this caused. It built a tunnel in the village of Ruwasinie to allow families to visit one another across the notorious Noric Sang. At the end of last year after much beaurocratic wrangling the tunnel was closed.

3.04

NKOSI MLAMBO II

Like we are standing here, that side is called Swavi land. As you see this boundary: it’s Swaziland that side and it’s the Republic this side, it’s Mozambique that side. You’ll see that the whole area was just divided, you know, into three parts. Dividing people in another clan.

3.34

TITLE: TUNNEL VISION

3.42

by

SARA BLECHER

NKOSI MLAMBO II

This man is uh Bevula. Bevula Masimela is a Head-man. In that side of the boundary in Swaziland, this one is –Hetros Mackzbeb so it’s from the real corner of Mozambique and this one is Mombowa – Mombowa Samon Kaweh. We call him Seja Samedat and I’m there leader and they are my subjects. All these people are Mlambo people and it’s sad what is happening to them.

4.29

SUBTITLES

We do not discriminate or differentiate amongst ourselves, we regard ourselves…….as one people. We are all under one king irrespective of whether we are in….Mozambique, Swaziland or South Africa. We do not recognize the…borders between us. The area belongs to Mlambo. We do not want the closure of the tunnel. It is very unfortunate that the tunnel has….been closed. The closure of the tunnel has brought misery to the…Mlambo people.

5.11

NARRATIVE

Before the Brazeni tunnel was opened in 1987, there was a series of negotiations between the South African Defence Force, The Mozambiquan Police and the Mlambo people.

5.22

COL JAKOB VAN HEERDEN (RETIRED)

There were meetings that took place like that but I can remember the last meeting which took place where official authority was given for the gate to open General Mulong then Minister of Defence came down and he flew in a helicopter to the border and we, the defence officials, pitched tents and a meeting was set up on the border itself, and the official go-ahead was given that morning.

5.49

SUBTITLES

Before the electric fence was installed people crossed easily…that’s why…there is a tunnel there in South Africa. It was installed in such a way…that people could cross and not be electrocuted by the fence. That is why they built the tunnel….to enable us to cross.

6.09

COL JAKOB VAN HEERDEN

The whole thing was to seek an African solution for an African problem. The communities living on either side of the border didn’t have regard for a first world passport control system, and we thought if we had a more relaxed system that people could move to and fro but still have a form of control. That was the solution we were looking for. Even taking into account that at the time our relationship with Mozambique was, whatever it was, the liaison… it was not very relaxed at that point in time. But it just….the solution that was accepted went to show that they also saw it was necessary to have a point where people could cross.

6.57

MUSIC

7.29

SUBTITLES

LUIS MENDES

Vice Supt. Border Police Mozambique

We found it strange because that tunnel was put there…with the agreement of both countries. We do not know….why our South African friends decided to shut it…down. They did not even communicate with us. We just…discovered that the post had been closed. We met with the soldiers at the army base, where they….told us that the tunnel was closed on Pretoria’s…instructions. Since there was an agreement between…both countries we asked why they had not consulted us….but they failed to give us an answer.

8.27

COL HEIN VISSER

Officer Commanding: Group 33

The beginning of this year through my operational channel I was instructed to close the tunnel because I don’t have the mandate to run the tunnel and then I closed it. The closure of the tunnel brought the military, myself, into a bad light because the people from Mbuzini said that we had this for many years we had it in the previous dispensation why do you come now with the democratised country now all of a sudden you close it.

8.58

(Mlombo person)

I think the Government of today discriminates…against us more than the previous one.

9.13

NARRATOR

Without the Mbuzini tunnel, the alternative route is long and arduous. A South African wanting to visit his relatives a few kilometres away in Mozambique must now travel to Nelspruit to obtain a passport and visa before making the long journey through the Mananga border gate, into Swaziland and then finally crossing again at Namaacha into Mozambique.

9.44

MUSIC

NARRATOR CONT….

Any Mozambiquan in Maputo wanting to visit his king, must first travel to Mobuto where a South African visa will cost him 300drams. Then he must return to Namaacha and cross through Swaziland before finally meeting up with his king in Mbuzini.

10.20

SUBTITLES

To find R300 to buy a visa in Maputo to travel 5 or 10 metres…is not possible. This makes people cross the border illegally.

10.43

NARRATOR

The Mlombo people had their sacred sites scattered throughout South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique. This one is in Mozambique.

10.52

Whenever we speak with our ancestors we come here to speak. Coming from South Africa and Swaziland the peoples of the underworld meeting us here they come to speaking with our ancestors. Our Kings we are here, you want to visit a King. The King asked us to call us to be there but you’ve got to know the way.

11.25

MIKE MABUZA

Mayor Nkomazi East

In terms of patriotic activities we are not deferring from Swaziland and also the nearby people from Mozambique, those who are here invited by their friends are also aware as we are of our traditional way, so we are not deferring from them. They are only deferring from the question of politics, the casual one then the social affairs.

11.52

NKOSI MLAMBO II

The people from Gabriel Court in Swaziland they fetch water here in the Republic of South Africa and there is no alternative no water and since before they section these boundaries this river has been here it has been used by these people.

12.16

MIKE MABUZA

Mayor Nkomazi East

If people come from Swaziland and they get pension here in South Africa it affects the Government, not necessarily our culture maybe as a whole land of people but it affects the whole government. Not us as a type but it’s just like they are your brother you see and then I am married and then you are also married and then you have the responsibility to make sure that you support your children, I support my children though we practice the same culture. That’s why I’m saying it becomes a political question not necessarily a mere cultural equation.

12.58

NKOSI MLAMBO II

You see one other thing is we have a very bad tension with our local politicians. Those localities, local politicians, you know, sometimes they do things the other way that we expect of them.

13.14

MUSIC

13.29

NARRATOR

It is pension day in Mbuzini, very few villagers have jobs and this is the only source of income for many people here. At least they receive pensions. In Mozambique in Swaziland the elderly do not receive any money at all, for them this market is their only source of income.

13.50

MUSIC

14.09

With the Mbuzini tunnel closed the electric fence is impenetrable but it does end and one can travel around it. The fence dividing South Africa and Swaziland is small and easy to cross but it is illegal and one must risk being robbed or caught by the soldiers who patrol it.

14.35

LUIS MENDES

Vice Supt. Border Police Mozambique

On the Swaziland border we don’t have much illegal Swazi’s coming into South Africa but yes they do come in to purchase etc. as well. To look after that, is, I don’t have the manpower and it is difficult to catch a person because it’s family, he comes in to buy something from the market and then he goes back so it’s not in actual fact an issue in the pre-ending.

15.04

NARRATOR

Mrs Orgobini is a Mozambiquan she used to cross easily at the tunnel to sell her bread on pension day, now she is forced to make the long trek through Swaziland with her heavy load. At least this time she hasn’t been robbed.

15.25

SUBTITLES

In Mozambique we don’t get pension. That’s why I come to sell….this bread to support my kids. If I stop, then they’ll start stealing and they will be arrested.

Do you know the law…that you must have a visa to cross?

I know about visas but I only sell my bread for R1…where will I get…the money for a visa? If I get any money I buy food for my family…so that we can eat.

15.55

MUSIC

16.29

NARRATOR

Later that day we passed Mrs Orgobini on our way back to the market, she had been arrested by the South African soldiers.

The Mbazini tunnel was closed at the end of last year by the defence force who discovered that they did not have the legal mandate to operate it. According to South African law the function of operating a border post falls under home affairs.

17.07

ROBERT ZITHA

Acting Regional Director: Home Affairs

We tend to blame one another, this one is doing that, that one is doing that and eventually you suffer on the defence. It is sad… this is not our responsibility, will you as Home Affairs take over the responsibility and then we said we do not have the infrastructure and they said it is not our responsibility and we don’t have the infrastructure and what could be the solution. So the solution was that it would close down.

17.36

COL HEIN VISSER

Officer Commanding: Group 33

If they open the tunnel and they tell me you must look after the tunnel you’ve got the mandate and it comes through my channel I think it’s easy to look after the tunnel. Of course you only use two people at the shift.

17.48

ROBERT ZITHER

Acting Regional Director

The reason why the South African Defence Force also closed down was due to the reduction of their personnel and they don’t have enough personnel to run the tunnel.

18.02

NKOSI MLAMBOII

I’ve never heard them say we are closing because people are smuggling arms, people are smuggling drugs, people are doing this and this, I’ve never heard them say that.

18.13

ROBERT ZITHER

There was a complaint that there are people who are bringing in goods or taking goods into Mozambique. There was a concern from one of our stake holders.

18.24

COL HEIN VISSER

To say that the Mbazini tunnel was used as a main smuggle route…I don’t think that that is very true. From an objective point of view you can smuggle through Swaziland much easier.

18.37

ROBERT ZITHER

The chief of the area was also approached to inform him that, look due to the problems that we encounter with the infrastructure with the abuse we intend now closing down the formal crossing.

18.53

NARRATOR

But instead of simplifying the job of policing the borders, the closure of the Mbazini tunnel has only made it more difficult.

19.03

COL HEIN VISSER

The problem when we closed the tunnel is that the people who make use of the Swaziland border can cross the fence illegally because we never had crosses at the bottom part of the fence. People coming into the country and on a daily basis we catch illegal people- on a daily basis. If we catch them we ask ‘what are you coming to do here?’ normally it’s an answer of we’re coming in for work. At the most, that’s a popular answer.

19.35

SOLDIER INTERVIEWING LOCALS

She came from the other side to book into the nearest hospital because she say she is sick, she came from the other side with her brother but her brother has got all the necessary papers. She hasn’t got the papers.

19.56

He’s telling me now when he started to work in Cholbi towards the end of 1976. He requested that he was taking his family because if he went to Mozambique….no problem but the family when they attend funerals and things he was held up so long that the 13th of July came and that was the expiry date of his visa. So now when he wants to come back he’s got no money and hasn’t got paid. You’ve got to understand so he chose the fence route.

My personal opinion…that’s difficult, but if you listen to the stories that these people tell you, you will be tempted to they don’t say but the government requires you to report them.

21.17

NARRATOR

On the way back to the police station in Gmatipert the Mamba stop several times to pick up more Mozambiquans. They have also been caught crossing the fence.

On the day we filmed in the area, 87 people were caught crossing the 60 kilometre fence between Gmatipert and Swaziland. This is only a fraction of the total number of people who crossed into South Africa that day. The next day 1,020 people were repatriated to Mozambique.

22.28

COL HEIN VISSER

It’s impossible to stop people, you must really have the manpower and the resources. Even with the Berlin Wall it was impossible to stop people and we don’t have 100 of what they had down there. So if you look at solutions on a border area or with illegal, then the solution is not in my hand with military forces it is a question of social economic development.

23.07

NARRATOR

Back at the tribal court in Nembosini these South African boys have been arrested for robbing Mozambiquan women who are easy targets as they cross the fence illegally. The king asks one of them how he could tell who is Mozambiquan…he says it is the ‘walk’.

23.36

ROBERT ZITHER

It goes with your experience, infact, it’s not that maybe most Mozambiquans are for instance, have a particular way of walking, but the way a person walks if you look at him and say this one is not South African.

23.49

COL HEIN VISSER

The black troops let’s call it a sixth sense, they know and they have seen that this person is not from Mozambique.

23.59

SOLDIER

How can you tell Mozambiquan…asking, how they are looking.

24.04

ROBERT ZITHER

Maybe to you, as a person that’s not working with these different nations, it will be difficult for you to detect.

24.15

They’ve have the mark here, it becomes easier for one to identify whether you are from South Africa or Mozambique by this mark.

24.25

COL HEIN VISSER

It’s on my arm, normally in the old days it was on the shoulder.

24.32

NKOSI MLAMBO II

Yeah, well it depends on their historical backgrounds….individually, you can have those that have both, you can have those that have one, you can have those that was born in his mother’s family at home not in a clinic…you see and then that person might not be having any mark. You see, it’s a question of understanding ones background.

25.04

VILLAGER 1

The difference is with the language because with each and every part of Mozambiques peoples they speak Changanga and Ronga and other languages, they cross the boundaries that’s why they say that’s Mozambiquan but it’s not Mozambiquan it’s Swazi and Maharjaran.

25.27

VILLAGER 2

It’s really bad when you have people, you know, who are used to one and heart and blood they are made to be divided by this practice.

25.46

NKOSI MLAMBO II

I wish my people to be reunited….how nobody knows…but I just want my people to be united.

25.56

MUSIC

26.43

END