Social networks and negotiation of borders understanding the social dynamics in the informal movement of goods and people across South Africa

Abstract

This dissertation explores the role of social networks in the clandestine cross-border movement of cargo (goods and people) through the South African and Zimbabwean border posts. It is an analysis of the complex human interactions involved in facilitating informal movements between the two countries. While the clandestine movements across the two borders have been acknowledged and are well documented, these have been defined in terms of corruption within the border system and porous borders where migrants utilize undesignated entry and exit points. While this is certainly part of the story, such descriptions have missed the broader picture in these movements, particularly the social dynamics inherent in the movement of cargo between the two countries. Using an ethnographic approach, which took the researcher closer to the action, the study finds the process as rather complex and requiring a much broader understanding of the subject. It emphasizes the significance of understanding the social network system inherent in these cross-border movements.

The movement of cargo involves complex networks spread through the entire route through which cargo moves along. These networks involve different actors that perform different roles and are involved in complex interactions, which result in successful cross-border movements. The study argues that the process should not be confined to border dynamics only but be understood as a process that is closely tied to the Zimbabwean crisis. The crisis in Zimbabwe has made social networking a critical part of survival, and the cross-border movement of goods and people has certainly been caught up in this complex social process.

The study emphasizes the complexity of the process and argues that there is need to understand the social networking aspects of these cross-border movements. The actors who initiate the process and the process of initiation are as equally important as that of allowing the goods to pass through, which has been the focus. This does not happen in a social vacuum, but within a social space where relationships are developed, nurtured, and used for the success of the process. These complexities are best captured by Maombera and Thebe's (2019) deployment of the concept of 'negotiation'. These social actors are involved in a process of complex negotiations, with policy implications for both Zimbabwe and South Africa as they battle with the challenges of porous borders and economic crisis respectively.