1st Edition

Cross Border Security in the Southern African Region Transcending Statolatry

By Inocent Moyo Copyright 2025
    160 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book provides a sophisticated analysis of cross-border challenges and problems in the southern African region. It advances explanations that transcend the state-centric narrative that has nationalised cross border security.

    It provides insights from non-state actors such as informal cross-border traders (ICBTs), informal cross-border transporters, undocumented migrants and cross-border communities. It argues that security needs to be understood beyond a state-centric paradigm by focusing on the political, economic, environmental and societal threats at macro, meso and micro levels. The book suggests that at the core of cross border security challenges in the Southern African region is a post-colonial governmentality. This drives the nationalisation of cross-border security as though it is the only security leading to nation-states, in turn depoliticising and invisibilising the security and livelihoods of ordinary people, even when nation states claim to be protecting the same.

    The book will be a useful resource for students, scholars, and researchers of African Studies, Border Studies, Human Geography, Migration Studies, Development Studies, International Studies, International Relations, Political Science and Security Studies.

    Chapter 1: The cross-security conundrum in the Southern African region

    Chapter 2: On security and cross border security

    Chapter 3: Borders, orders, and postcolonial governmentality

    Chapter 4: Border Management, neopatrimonialism, and cross border security

    Chapter 5: The poverty of cross-border illegalities narrative

    Chapter 6: Covid-19 Border Closures and Cross-Border Security

    Chapter 7:  Transcending statolatry

    Biography

    Inocent Moyo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and Deputy Dean of Research, Innovation and Internationalisation at the University of Zululand, South Africa. He researches borders, migration, and the political economy of the informal economy in the Southern African region.