The issue of the safety and security at South Africa’s (SA) borders came into sharp focus in 2025.

With the G20 nations expected to converge on the country in a few days concerns around safety and security have intensified.

An emphatic plea from an army general for politicians to address the issue of SA borders.

A stark reality of a real threat to safety, that many people especially in border towns have raised.

Cross-border crimes, particularly stock theft along the borders between SA and Lesotho, have risen sharply in recent years.

There are eight official ports of entry from Lesotho, yet farmers’ advocacy group Free State Agriculture says it has identified 64 illegal entry points that Lesotho nationals use to gain entry in to the country.

The border is patrolled by the SA National Defence Force and SA Police Service is also present for crime prevention. Yet the challenges persist.

–SABC–