Over 6 000 individuals were detained by the Border Management Authority (BMA) over the Easter weekend for trying to enter or leave South Africa without authorisation.
Dr Michael Masiapato, the BMA’s commissioner, reported that 6 253 individuals were stopped and arrested for trying to enter or leave South Africa illegally.
According to Masiapato, the majority of the 6 253 individuals detained were Mozambicans, Basotho, and Zimbabweans.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, Masiapato gave an overview and report on the movement data and interceptions at ports of entry over the Easter weekend.
The BMA’s Easter operations for 2025 lasted 10 days, from April 15 to April 24.
For the third year in a row, he said, the BMA conducted the Easter border operations on its own to guarantee the lawful handling of people and products.
Increase in traveller movements reported
According to Masiapato, the BMA recorded about 1 057 063 traveller movements throughout the country’s 71 ports of entry during the Easter period.
This represents an 8% increase over the 974 729 traveller movements recorded during the same period in 2024.
“On the interceptions of illegal movements of persons, just in a period of 10 days, we have been able to intercept and apprehend a total of 6 253 persons who were attempting to either enter or exit South Africa illegally.
“This is an increase of 61% compared to the 2024 Easter interception of 3 841.” said Masiapato.
About 4 795 of the 6 253 people who were arrested, according to Masiapato, were undocumented, 1 055 were deemed undesirable, and 403 were deemed inadmissible for a variety of reasons, including obtaining false visas or failing to present yellow fever certificates, despite the fact that they were from countries where the disease was prevalent.
“Even in this 2025 Easter period, a consistent pattern of top three nationalities, which continues to undermine our immigration laws, remains Zimbabweans at 2 019 followed by Basotho at 1 921 and Mozambicans at 1 143. The remainder of 1 170 is shared among the Swatis and other nationalities.
“All those intercepted without documents were fingerprinted, declared undesirable for five years, and deported to their countries, with the exception of facilitators.
“These increased interceptions of 61% can be attributed to the deployment of high-tech surveillance drones and body-worn cameras,” said Masiapato.
For a variety of reasons, he said, 112 more people were detained at border law enforcement locations and/or ports of entry and turned over to SA Police Service officers (SAPS) for additional processing.
Masiapato added that most of these people were charged with aiding and abetting under Section 49(2) of the Immigration Act since they facilitated unlawful activities near the ports of entry.
Corrupt immigration officers detained
Regarding general law enforcement during the Easter season this year, Masiapato reported that border guards were able to successfully stop four cars and one motorbike from being smuggled out of the country.
A 22-seater minibus and a sedan passenger car were seized at the Beit Bridge port of entry, according to Masiapato, after they were found to have assisted and facilitated illegal migration.
“All these were handed over to the SAPS detective services for further processing. Furthermore, 5 181.04 kilograms of cannabis to the value of R129 550 was confiscated and handed over to customs for further processing.
“Eight passports endorsed with fraudulent stamps were confiscated at the Lebombo port of entry. Other interceptions included 879 items of counterfeit alcohol, three bales of branded clothing, and 50 pairs of counterfeit shoes.”
Thirty-four boxes of fake cigarettes were intercepted, he said, as they were being smuggled into South Africa by smugglers using a number of routes found close to the ports of entry at Lebombo and Beit Bridge.
Over a billion rands worth of illegal cigarettes have been seized at different ports of entry so far, according to Masiapato.
In relation to anti-corruption issues, he reported that two immigration officers were detained at Beit Bridge for working with intermediaries who sought to permit the illegal entry of undocumented people.
According to Masiapato, BMA officials fined 38 non-compliant conveyors — mostly buses and airlines — a total of R947 300 during the Easter period.
