Symposium on Border Regions in Southern Africa (original) (raw)

This paper examines the cross-border economic and sociocultural activities of the inhabitants of the contiguous border areas of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Specifically, it compares the economic activities of informal cross-border traders (ICBTs) in these areas and the sociocultural practices of the inhabitants including accessing social services as well as the fulfillment of ethno-cultural obligations across borders. Further, it compares perceptions towards each of these practices by various actors including, among others, the ICBTs, ordinary locals, non-governmental organization (NGOs), and State and local authorities. Legislations, policy reports and scientific publications are thoroughly reviewed and interviews with key policymakers, ICBTs, and locals are conducted. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of data collected from the interviews are also performed. Various stakeholders generally regard accessing social services (such as education and health) across borders by nationals of neighboring countries as something that is acceptable and normal while some forms of informal crossborder trade are considered undesirable. However, both economic and ethno-or sociocultural actors engage in cross-border activity out of necessity, convenience, as means of survival, and something that they have traditionally engaged in as inhabitants of the borderlands. Representatives from State and local governments of the adjacent provinces in the contiguous border areas should establish trans-border coordinating committees to establish systems for addressing and coordinating, especially, the sharing of the burden of providing social services.