Phelekezela Mphoko’s Passing Leaves Behind Family Strife
According
to
The
NewsHawks,
Mphoko’s
family
has
experienced
discord,
particularly
between
Mphoko
and
his
son,
Siqokoqela,
who
reportedly
feels
estranged
from
both
his
father
and
mother,
as
well
as
his
two
sisters.
The
family
conflict
appears
to
stem
from
issues
related
to
parentage,
business
dealings,
and
financial
disputes,
leading
to
a
history
of
infighting.
Siqokoqela
no
longer
believes
Laurinda
is
his
mother.
His
father
said
she
is,
but
she
says
he
has
discovered
she
is
not.
Tensions
escalated
during
Mphoko’s
vice
presidency,
particularly
over
the
Choppies
supermarket
chain,
which
resulted
in
legal
troubles
for
Siqokoqela
and
his
wife,
Nomagugu,
who
faced
charges
of
fraud
and
extortion
in
2018.
Although
these
charges
were
later
withdrawn,
the
family
continued
to
battle
over
control
of
Choppies
and
associated
finances.
In
a
separate
legal
matter,
Siqokoqela
was
arrested
last
year
on
charges
of
rape
involving
a
minor
relative,
as
well
as
for
escaping
lawful
custody.
He
pleaded
not
guilty
but
was
convicted
on
all
counts,
receiving
a
20-year
prison
sentence,
which
was
later
overturned
on
appeal.
Despite
this
acquittal,
the
relationship
between
Siqokoqela
and
his
father
had
already
deteriorated
irreparably.
Siqokoqela
was
explicitly
excluded
from
Mphoko’s
will,
with
the
Phelekezela
Report
Mphoko
Foundation
stating
that
Laurinda
would
take
over
management
of
the
estate,
followed
by
Daluthando
(son
of
Siduduzo)
and
Sikhumbuzo.
As
Mphoko’s
body
returns
to
Zimbabwe
for
burial
at
Heroes
Acre,
the
family
remains
deeply
divided,
with
reports
indicating
that
Siqokoqela
may
not
attend
his
father’s
funeral.
Senate Passes the Death Penalty Abolition Bill
Late
yesterday
afternoon
the
Senate
passed
the
Death
Penalty
Abolition
Bill
which,
as
its
name
indicates,
will
abolish
the
death
penalty
in
Zimbabwe.
The
Bill
has
already
passed
through
the
National
Assembly
and
now
it
has
to
be
sent
to
the
President
for
assent
and
then
published
in
the
Gazette
as
an
Act.
Veritas
congratulates
the
Senators
and
Members
of
the
National
Assembly
who
facilitated
the
Bill’s
passage
through
Parliament.
We
also
thank
the
President
and
the
Minister
of
Justice,
Legal
and
Parliamentary
Affairs
for
their
support
for
the
Bill.
When
the
Bill
becomes
law,
Zimbabwe
will
join
the
ever-increasing
ranks
of
progressive
countries
throughout
the
world
that
have
abolished
the
death
penalty
from
their
statute
books.
Veritas
makes
every
effort
to
ensure
reliable
information,
but
cannot
take
legal
responsibility
for
information
supplied.
Post
published
in:
Featured
No Need For Snowfall With All This Raining Cash! – See Also – Above the Law
Bonus
Money
Makes
Associates
Very
Merry:
Selendy
Gay
blows
past
the
market!
Meeting
The
Market
Also
Gets
You
On
The
Nice
List!:
Sullivan
&
Cromwell,
Linklaters.
Some
Holiday
Gifts
Have
Caveats:
Perkins
Coie
must
not
have
gotten
the
special
bonus
memo.
Abrupt
Shooting
Of
Judge
Leads
To
Some
Serious
Accusations:
Read
about
it
here.
Law
School
Dean
Wants
To
Hike
Tuition:
It
could
be
just
what
the
school
needs.
We
Present
You
With
Presents!:
This
list
should
make
your
holiday
shopping
easier.
Associates Miffed Over Special Bonuses That Aren’t Very Special – Above the Law
Earlier
today,
Pillsbury
Winthrop
announced
year-end
bonuses.
But
not
everyone
is
happy
about
it.
Tipsters
at
the
firm
say
they
feel
stiffed
out
of
the
special
bonuses
making
their
way
through
the
market
on
top
of
the
standard
year-end
bonuses.
The
situation
at
Pillsbury
is
unique
in
that
associates
can
actually
make
or
even
exceed
the
market
bonuses
—
if
they
bill
a
bunch.
But
the
firm
has
always
had
“super
bonuses”
for
high
billers….
so
even
though
the
firm’s
announcement
puts
a
nice
spin
on
it:
Our
existing
market
based
bonus
and
above
market
Super
Bonus
programs
also
remain
in
effect,
except
that
for
Super
Bonus
1
we
are
increasing
the
additional
bonus
amount
for
those
in
the
5th year
Associate
through
Counsel
classes
from
$20,000
to
$25,000, so
that
those
meeting
the
Super
Bonus
1
requirements
will
receive
total
bonuses
equaling
or
exceeding
the
“special”
bonuses
recently
announced
by
other
firms.
Insiders
have
a
different
take,
with
some
saying,
“Pillsbury
gives
special
bonus
—
but
only
if
you’re
hitting
2200+
and
in
certain
class
years;
so
effectively
not
special
at
all
because
this
is
already
the
default
policy”
and
“fwiw,
people
here
are
pretty
furious
about
it,
as
you
can
imagine.”
The
bonus
schedule
at
the
firm
is
as
follows:
|
Class |
2024 Base Bonus 1700 Client 2000 Creditable |
2024 Super 1 Bonus 1900 Client 2200 Creditable |
2024 Super 2 Bonus 2100 Client 2400 Creditable |
|
Fall Hires |
$15,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
1st Year Associate |
$20,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
2nd Year Associate |
$30,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
3rd Year Associate |
$57,500 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
4th Year Associate |
$75,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
5th Year Associate |
$90,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
|
Senior Associate 1 |
$105,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
|
Senior Associate 2 |
$115,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
| Counsel | $115,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
You
can
read
the
full
memo
on
the
next
page.
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
Dear
Associates
and
Counsel,
I
am
pleased
to
confirm
that
Pillsbury
will
continue
to
pay
market
level
salaries
to
our
on
track
associates
and
counsel
in
good
standing,
reflecting
the
following
US
salary
scale
for
the
coming
year:
|
Class |
2025 Salary |
|
1st Year Associate |
$225,000 |
|
2nd Year Associate |
$235,000 |
|
3rd Year Associate |
$260,000 |
|
4th Year Associate |
$310,000 |
|
5th Year Associate |
$365,000 |
|
Senior Associate 1 |
$390,000 |
|
Senior Associate 2 |
$420,000 |
| Counsel | $435,000 |
Our
existing
market
based
bonus
and
above
market
Super
Bonus
programs
also
remain
in
effect,
except
that
for
Super
Bonus
1
we
are
increasing
the
additional
bonus
amount
for
those
in
the
5th year
Associate
through
Counsel
classes
from
$20,000
to
$25,000, so
that
those
meeting
the
Super
Bonus
1
requirements
will
receive
total
bonuses
equaling
or
exceeding
the
“special”
bonuses
recently
announced
by
other
firms.
Here
are
the
updated
bonus
amounts:
|
Class |
2024 Base Bonus 1700 Client 2000 Creditable |
2024 Super 1 Bonus 1900 Client 2200 Creditable |
2024 Super 2 Bonus 2100 Client 2400 Creditable |
|
Fall Hires |
$15,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
1st Year Associate |
$20,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
2nd Year Associate |
$30,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
3rd Year Associate |
$57,500 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
4th Year Associate |
$75,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
|
5th Year Associate |
$90,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
|
Senior Associate 1 |
$105,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
|
Senior Associate 2 |
$115,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
| Counsel | $115,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 |
On
behalf
of
Pillsbury,
thank
you
for
your
continuing
dedication
to
our
clients
and
the
firm.
Have
a
great
holiday
season.
Dave
|
David T. Dekker | Firm Chair |
|
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP |
|
1200 Seventeenth Street NW | Washington, DC 20036-3006 |
|
[email protected] | website bio |
Enter
your
email
address
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
&
Salary
Increase
Alerts.
Elite Litigation Boutique Announces Mega-Bonuses For Associates, Completely Blowing Away The Market Rate – Above the Law
While
Biglaw
firms
are
scrambling
to
match
Milbank’s
generous
year-end
and
special
bonuses,
boutique
firms
really
mean
business
when
it
comes
to
compensation.
They
recruit
the
best
and
brightest
lawyers
and
reward
them
handsomely
with
top
bonuses
that
often
exceed
the
market.
The
latest
boutique
to
announce
bonuses
for
associates
is
no
different.
Selendy
Gay
just
announced
that
it
would
be
blowing
away
the
market
bonus
scale
for
the
seventh
year
in
a
row.
This
is
what
base
bonuses,
plus
special
bonuses,
look
like
at
the
elite
boutique:
|
Class Year |
Regular Bonus |
Special Bonus |
Combined Bonus |
| 2017+ | $132,250 | $25,000 | $157,250 |
| 2018 | $120,750 | $25,000 | $145,750 |
| 2019 | $103,500 | $25,000 | $128,500 |
| 2020 | $86,250 | $20,000 | $106,250 |
| 2021 | $66,125 | $15,000 | $81,125 |
| 2022 | $34,500 | $10,000 | $44,500 |
| 2023 | $23,000 | $6,000 | $29,000 |
| 2024 | $17,250 | $6,000 | $23,250 |
Selendy’s
bonuses
are
already
15%
higher
than
the
Biglaw
numbers
across
the
board
—
but
some
associates
will
wind
up
receiving
bonuses
up
to
more
than
50%
higher
than
the
prevailing
market
rate,
based
on
performance,
hours,
and
firm
citizenship.
These
huge
bonuses
will
hit
bank
accounts
on
December
13.
Congratulations
to
all
Selendy
Gay
associates
on
their
big-time
bonuses!
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
Enter
your
email
address
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
&
Salary
Increase
Alerts.
Attorneys Redact Everything Except Articles & Prepositions… Judge Is Less Than Pleased – Above the Law
No
one
enjoys
turning
over
damaging
discovery,
but
that’s
the
way
the
litigation
cookie
crumbles.
But
in
an
ongoing
FOIA
matter,
the
FDIC
just
turned
over
some
redacted
documents.
Though
that
might
be
stretching
the
spirit
of
“redacted”
a
bit
far.
Prompting
Judge
Ana
C.
Reyes
to
issue
a
terse
response.
“History
Associates
Incorporated”
makes
this
matter
sound
like
the
Ancient
Alien
guys
are
looking
for
some
of
their
guaranteed
deposits
back
from
the
FDIC.
But
it’s
really
an
entity
hired
by
the
crypto
industry
to
lodge
FOIA
requests
against
government
regulators.
So…
not
nearly
as
credible
as
Ancient
Aliens.
But
redacting
everything
but
an
article
or
preposition
is
a
bold
move
even
for
a
government
agency
fighting
a
request.
However,
it
would
appear
that
when
it
came
to
FOIA,
FDIC
FAFO.
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or
Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a
Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.
When It Comes To Bonuses, Better Later(s) Than Never – Above the Law
We’ve
been
riding
the
bonus
wave
for
a
few
weeks
now
and
—
more
or
less
—
meeting
the
market.
Now
another
firm
has
dutifully
joined
the
trend.
After
announcing
a
record
year
with
over
$2
billion
in
revenue,
Linklaters
—
#17
in
the
Global
200
—
has
matched
the
market
in
both
annual
and
special
bonuses.
That’s
enough
to
make
associates
fall
in
love
with
the
firm…
though
maybe
not
as
“in
love”
as
the
firm
wants.
|
Class |
Bonus |
Special Bonus |
|
Class of 2024 |
$15K (pro-rated) |
$6K (pro-rated) |
|
Class of 2023 |
$20K | $6K |
|
Class of 2022 |
$30K | $10K |
|
Class of 2021 |
$57.5K | $15K |
|
Class of 2020 |
$75K | $20K |
|
Class of 2019 |
$90K | $25K |
|
Class of 2018 |
$105K | $25K |
|
Class of 2017+ |
$115K | $25K |
Congratulations
to
everyone
at
Linklaters
on
another
successful
year.
Toast
your
success…
well,
maybe
not
ALL
of
you
should
toast.
Earlier:
Top
Biglaw
Firm
Announces
Record
Revenue
Of
More
Than
$2
Billion
Biglaw
Firm
Desperately
Tries
To
Play
Cupid
Biglaw
Partner
Banned
From
Drinking
Alcohol
At
Firm
Events
After
Allegations
He
Groped
A
Junior
Colleague
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or
Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a
Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.
Enter
your
email
address
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
&
Salary
Increase
Alerts.
Top 50 Biglaw Firm Hands Out Year-End Bonuses But Associates Are Left Without Special Bonuses – Above the Law
Biglaw
bonuses
this
year
are
arriving
in
two
varieties.
There
are
the
more
standard
year-end
bonuses,
and
the
special
bonuses
that
actually
began
this
summer
with
Milbank’s
largesse.
But
at
this
point,
the
bonus
news
going
around
Biglaw
is
of
these
double
bonuses.
But
not
every
big
firm
—
even
those
at
the
top
of
the
industry
—
has
been
quick
to
give
out
special
bonuses
on
top
of
the
normal
year-end
ones.
Perkins
Coie
made
$1,211,295,000
in
gross
revenue
last
year,
landing
it
in
the
#43
spot
on
the
Am
Law
100.
But
tipsters
at
the
firm
say
they
haven’t
matched
those
coveted
special
bonuses.
Perkins Coie
quietly
didn’t
match
the
market.
Memos
came
out
without
any
firm
announcement
and
there
was
no
special
bonus.
Insiders
at
the
firm
say
the
bonus
memos
came
out
last
week,
and
they
were
individualized
without
a
handy
schedule
of
bonuses
for
easy
comparison.
But
that
extra
$6,000-$25,000
in
special
bonus
money
just
wasn’t
there.
Of
course,
the
firm
could
always
delight
with
a
second,
surprise
announcement
of
special
bonuses,
but
no
one
is
counting
on
it.
Tipsters
say
they’re
“disappointed”
but
not
surprised
by
the
firm’s
decision.
Above
the
Law
reached
out
to
Perkins
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Inside the Musina-Zimbabwe smuggling network
Headman
Malindi
Kwinda
of
Tshirundu
village
alongside
the
Limpopo
River
outside
Musina.
(Photo:
Rudzani
Tshivhase)
‘Zimbabweans
on
the
other
side
of
the
river
receive
smuggled
goods
[that
are]
transported
by
donkey
carts
and
vehicles
to
various
villages
in
Zimbabwe,”
Malindi
Kwinda
told
Daily
Maverick
as
he
sat
at
the
Ha
Tshirundu
settlement
on
the
South
African
side
of
the
border
with
Zimbabwe.
“We
don’t
mind
at
all
because
here,
at
this
crossing
of
Tshirundu,
it
is
mostly
groceries
and
other
basics
such
as
bathing
soap,
washing
soap,
cooking
oil,
rice
and
clothes
that
are
crossing
over.”
Kwinda,
the
local
headman
of
the
small
South
African
settlement,
which
lies
less
than
a
kilometre
from
the
Limpopo
River
that
separates
the
two
countries,
said
now
that
the
river
was
seasonally
dry,
illegal
crossings
and
smuggling
had
increased,
something
that
will
surge
as
we
move
into
the
festive
season.
While
there
are
several
other
illegal
crossing
points
along
the
Zimbabwe-SA
border,
starting
from
Maroi
to
the
Gumbu
area,
and
“Gate
One
and
Two”,
the
crossing
near
Ha
Tshirundu
is
one
of
the
hotspots
on
the
South
African
National
Defence
Force’s
(SANDF’s)
radar.
After
a
visit
to
the
Musina
border
with
the
SANDF,
Daily
Maverick
previously
reported
on
the
challenges
the
SANDF
faced
when
patrolling
the
porous
boundary.
One
such
challenge
is
villages
like
Ha
Tshirundu,
which
was
established
informally
and
serves
as
a
haven
for
smugglers
and
undocumented
migrants
seeking
to
cross
into
South
Africa.
Kwinda
detailed
how
the
village
served
as
a
stop
for
migrants,
who
often
sleep
at
Ha
Tshirundu
when
they
make
their
journey
into
South
Africa,
and
criminal
smugglers
known
as
goma
gomas,
who
rest
at
the
settlement
while
the
goods
they
are
smuggling,
mostly
groceries
and
essential
items,
are
offloaded
and
transported
into
Zimbabwe.
The
goods
are
mainly
transported
by
vehicle
from
nearby
Musina
to
the
riverside
crossing
and
from
there
they
are
moved
across
the
river
either
by
foot
or
using
donkey
carts.
As
this
unfolds,
Zimbabwean
vendors
sell
fruit
and
other
refreshments
along
the
river
banks.
One
of
these
women
is
Mary
Moyo.
Mary
Moyo
is
a
vendor
who
sells
refreshments
on
the
banks
of
the
Limpopo
River.
(Photo:
Rudzani
Tshivhase)
“We
target
smugglers
and
foreigners
who
use
the
spot
to
cross.
We
sell
refreshments
to
them.
It
is
very
hot
as
you
can
feel.
The
heat
is
high
at
42℃
today
and
they
need
refreshments
to
keep
going.
Even
soldiers
do
support
us,
buying
this
and
that,”
Moyo
said.
Zim
hyperinflation
spurs
smuggling
While
the
smuggling
of
groceries
into
Zimbabwe
breaks
several
laws,
for
many
Zimbabwean
citizens
it
is
a
means
for
survival
in
a
nation
contending
with
an
economic
downturn
and
hyperinflation
which
has
made
buying
essential
goods
extremely
expensive.
This
is
evidenced
by
the
number
of
crossings
at
the
Beitbridge
Port
of
Entry,
a
hub
of
movement
as
Zimbabwean
nationals
cross
in
and
out
of
the
country
carrying
goods
purchased
in
South
Africa.
A
Zimbabwean
woman
named
Milicent
spoke
to
Daily
Maverick
as
we
visited
the
border
post.
Perched
securely
on
her
head
was
a
bag
containing
maize
meal
and
other
groceries
she
had
just
bought
from
Musina.
“I
come
to
South
Africa
once
a
month
to
buy
food
and
other
things
this
side.
It
is
so
much
cheaper.
Back
home
it’s
either
we
don’t
have
stock
or
it
is
very
expensive.
It
would
be
easier
to
buy
in
Zimbabwe,
but
we
have
no
choice.
It
takes
me
eight
hours
to
get
from
my
home
to
get
here
and
after
we
have
bought
our
things
we
have
to
sleep
here
at
the
border
because
there
is
no
accommodation,”
she
said.
While
Milicent
crossed
into
South
Africa
legally
to
buy
her
goods,
for
many
people
it
is
too
expensive
to
do
so.
Responding
to
questions
from
Daily
Maverick,
the
SANDF
said
smuggling
illegal
products
and
consumables,
such
as
alcohol,
cigarettes
and
other
items
was
a
way
to
avoid
custom
duties.
A
smuggler
near
Ha
Tshirundu
who
chose
to
remain
anonymous
said
they
smuggled
goods
because
of
hunger
and
a
lack
of
jobs
both
in
South
Africa
and
Zimbabwe.
“We
are
not
killing
and
robbing
anyone.
From
Musina
to
the
river,
people
are
charged
according
to
the
size
of
the
goods
he
or
she
is
transporting.
Of
course,
in
the
process,
there
are
some
criminals
called
Magoma-goma
who
rob
people
[in]
the
bush,”
he
said.
The
goma
gomas
represent
a
more
nefarious
side
of
the
smuggling
network
between
Zimbabwe
and
South
Africa.
They
are
hardened
criminals
who
often
smuggle
cigarettes,
vehicles
and
even
people
between
the
two
countries.
The
Beitbridge
border
with
Zimbabwe,
outside
Musina.
(Photo:
Rudzani
Tshivhase)
SANDF
battalion
commander
Lieutenant
Colonel
Mzoxolo
Ketsekile,
the
leader
of Operation
Corona,
highlighted
the
threat
that
goma
gomas
posed.
“[Goma
gomas]
take
undocumented
people
across
the
borderline,
once
they
have
crossed
they
will
rob
or
even
rape
women
knowing
that
these
are
undocumented
persons
will
not
report
the
crime
to
the
South
African
Police
Service
(SAPS)
as
they
will
be
deported
back
to
their
country,”
said
Ketsekile.
He
said
goma
gomas
also
smuggled
copper,
ivory,
explosives
and
drugs.
The
explosives
are
allegedly
used
in
ATM
bombings
and
illegal
mining
activities.
SANDF
ramps
up
patrols
Ha
Tshirundu
headman
Kwinda
said
the
mushrooming
of
illegal
crossing
points
along
the
border
was
mainly
due
to
the
lack
of
a
fence.
“We
work
very
well
with
the
police
and
soldiers
deployed
here.
They
are
working
very
hard,
but
there
is
little
they
can
do
and
the
fence
is
either
not
there
or
riddled
with
holes,”
said
Kwinda.
While
the
SANDF
faces
various
challenges
with
securing
the
vast
northern
border,
it
plans
to
ramp
up
patrols
throughout
the
festive
season.
There
are
several
roadblocks
on
the
small
border
road.
Here,
drivers
are
interrogated
about
their
destinations
and
searched
for
smuggled
items.
The
SANDF
is
also
using
drone
technology
to
collect
data
in
the
bush
and
along
the
river,
documenting
the
movement
of
vehicles
and
people.
Since
Operation
Corona
began
on
1
September,
154
people
have
been
arrested
attempting
to
cross
into
South
Africa
illegally.
Additionally,
illicit
goods
such
as
cigarettes,
marijuana,
vehicles
and
drugs
worth
just
over
R33-million
have
been
seized.
A
farmer
who
asked
to
remain
anonymous
for
fear
of
victimisation
complimented
the
soldiers
working
on
the
border.
“The
soldiers
are
working
hard
trying
to
stop
the
illegal
movement
of
undocumented
foreigners.
The
challenge
is
the
lack
of
a
proper
fence.
In
2020
the
government
erected
a
40km
low-quality
fence
which
cost
taxpayers
almost
R40-million.
The
fence
has
been
damaged
and
even
stolen
in
some
instances,”
said
the
farmer. DM
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