Border Management Authority promises tighter controls this festive season

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) says it is fully prepared for a surge in festive season travel, with plans in place to process millions of travellers across ports of entry between December and mid-January.

"We are anticipating a full pre-COVID recovery, of around 6 million and above people that we are supposed to facilitate. We are very much ready, and the entire ecosystem is ready," says Commissioner, Dr Mike Masiapato.

Masiapato explains that planning started in September, during which additional personnel, technology, and coordination efforts were implemented.

The BMA has already intercepted more than 8,000 attempted illegal entries, mainly involving undocumented travellers from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Pressure points include Maseru Bridge, Ficksburg, Beitbridge and Lebombo, where officials say lack of travel documents, high passport costs and previous immigration bans are driving illegal crossings.

To combat corruption and cross-border crime, the authority has introduced body cameras for frontline officials and rolled out new personalised passport stamps to prevent fraud.

"We started in the April festive season with the body cams. If you have passed through OR Tambo quite recently, you will realise the officials will be assisting you there on body cams. So effectively, as you interact with them, we are able to see you on the body cam, and we are able to hear the conversation. However, not all officials are on body cams because we don't have enough of them. We are going to be buying more as soon as we get more resources."

The BMA has also intercepted hundreds of stolen vehicles, illicit cigarettes worth over a billion rand, and weapons, warning travellers that festive season law enforcement will be intensified.

To listen to Dr Mike Masiapato in conversation with 702's Clement Manyathela, click the audio below: