Communities along the Limpopo River outside Musina on the border of Zimbabwe and South Africa say there is a seasonal spike in illegal river crossings, when the river is dry. Some areas serve as a safe haven for smugglers and undocumented migrants.

'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...