Massive overhaul for South Africa’s borders – ‘never to look the same again’
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it wants to completely redesign and redevelop the six busiest ports of entry in South Africa.
Speaking at a National Council of Provinces Pleanery on Tuesday (20 June), the minister of the DHA, Aaron Motsoaledi said that the newly developed Border Management Authority (BMA) has met with the minister of finance and was given the go-ahead for it to issue requests for funding proposals.
He said this would start the massive project of overhauling the border system and increasing national security and African trade. South Africa’s land borderline is roughly 4,700km long and is divided into 10 segments.
The minister said the project would redesign the following border posts:
- Beitbridge border post – Between South Africa and Zimbabwe
- Lebombo Border control – Between Mpumalanga and Mozambique
- Oshoek Border Post – Between Mpumalanga and Eswatini
- Makhaleng Bridge – Between Free State and Lesotho
- Sepapu’s Gate Border post – Between Free State and Lesotho
- Kopfontein Border post – Between North West and Botswana
“This would be a huge infrastructural and technological injection into the management of our borders,” Motsoaledi said.
This follows the first budget speech given by the minister regarding the BMA since it became a standalone entity managed by the DHA.
Motsoaledi said that the total cost of the project would only be known once the bidding process has been completed. The proposals are expected to be issued by early July.
“On its completion, these six busiest ports of entry will never look the same again,” Motsoaledi said.
In July 2022, the department started to deploy hundreds of border guards, similar to the army and police but stationed specifically across the borders. The border guards are tasked with various activities including conducting searches of individuals, luggage, and vehicles in accordance with applicable regulations during planned roadblock/checkpoint operations at the port of entry and vulnerable areas along the border.
Additionally, they must perform law enforcement duties at the outer/inner perimeter areas, including traffic checkpoint operations. The overall objective is to report any illegal movements of people and goods while maintaining surveillance from hidden positions near or at international borders.
Regulations establishing the BMA were signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, establishing it as a national public entity reporting to the Minister of Home Affairs.
The DHA’s Budget Vote for 2023/24 reports that over the 2022/23 to 2024/25 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, the indicative allocations grew from R9,405 billion in 2022/23 to R9,751 billion in 2024/25.
“The allocation of these resources allows us to consolidate our gains by continuing to deliver services and products vital to the socio-economic well-being of the citizens and residents in line with the objectives, priorities and commitments”
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