Border jumping and migration control in Southern Africa / created by Francis Musoni.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-188) and index.

A site of contestations: the Zimbabwe-South Africa border and illegal[ized] movements across it -- Colonial statecraft and the rise of border jumping -- Promoting illegality: South Africa's ban on "tropical natives" -- Border jumping and the politics of labor -- Apartheid, African liberation struggles and the securitization of cross-Limpopo mobility -- Crossing the boundary fence: the Zimbabwe crisis and the surge in border jumping -- The past in the present: border jumping as a legacy of the European partition of Africa.

"With the end of Apartheid rule and the on-going economic crisis in Zimbabwe, Francis Musoni observes that border crossing has become a way of life for many of those who live on both sides of the Limpopo River. This border has become one of the busiest inland ports in entry in the world and as border crossers wait for clearance, crime, violence, and illegal entries have become rampant. Musoni explores the many reasons for crossing a border, including searches for better paying jobs in South Africa and access to food and clothing at affordable prices, and sets these actions into a framework of illegality. He considers how countries have failed to secure their borders, why passports are denied to travelers, and how migration has become a phenomenon with a long history, especially in Africa. Musoni emphasizes cross-border travelers' active participation in the making of this history and how clandestine mobility has presented opportunity and creative possibilities for those who are willing to take the risk."--Provided by publisher.