An analysis of law enforcement and the control of illicit trade of tobacco product at Beitbridge border post in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study explored the challenges faced by the law enforcement agencies on illicit tobacco smuggling across South Africa and Zimbabwe at the Beitbridge port of entry. Literature states that globally law enforcement agencies are faced with a huge challenge at the borders in controlling the trade of tobacco product: South Africa has no exemption on this matter. This mini-dissertation analyses the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement and the control of illicit trade of tobacco product at Beitbridge port of entry. The lack of operation coordination strategies and workload within law enforcement agencies were fully examined with a view to come up with appropriate measures to improve control at research area. The South African Government tobacco control policy has been in place since the early 1990’s with legislative instruments requiring mandatory health warning labels on tobacco products, banning public and underage smoking. Porous borders and corruption of officials working at the boarders are the exacerbating illicit tobacco. An explanatory qualitative method design was used in this study which helped to gather data to explain the phenomenon in more depth. The chosen study area of this research is the Beitbridge port of entry which is situated in the far North of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A purposive sample was used in the study to select participants in the following law enforcement agencies, namely SAPS, SARS and SANDF. Improved working collaboration between SAPS, SARS and SANDF and other stakeholders will immensely benefit the society and government. The qualitative study method was done in this research. The research sample was the law enforcement officers responsible for curbing the illicit trade of tobacco product in a multidisciplinary approach at the Beitbridge border post from the three departments, which are SAPS, SARS and SANDF.

The data was only collected from the South African side of Beitbridge not from Zimbabwean side. Thematic analysis was then used to analyse the findings. Permission to conduct the study was sought from relevant authorities, ethics of informed consent, confidentiality and voluntarily participation were utilised. The following themes emerged during the data analysis: access to the border and also to the policies as well as to the members of selected departments working at the Beitbridge border post. The responses from the findings were analyses based on the interview guide used to collect data. The respondents confirmed that though there are coordinated efforts to prevent, combat and detect illicit cigarettes there is a need for adequate resources like storage facilities, sniffer dogs and scanners at the border. Based on the responses received, it was concluded that there is an existence of some form of coordination of activities relating to operations at the border within the law enforcement agencies responsible for curb illicit trade.