The Border Management Authority (BMA) will deploy 400 additional junior border guards at some of the country’s busiest ports of entry to assist with the monitoring of people and goods during the Easter period.
The commissioner of the BMA, Dr Michael Masiapato, said most of the additional junior guards will be deployed at Beitbridge border post, Lebombo, Fiksburg, Maseru Bridge, Telle Bridge, Kosi Bay, and Grobler’s Bridge.
Masiapato also said the BMA will work with other law-enforcement agencies such as the SA Police Service, South African Revenue Service, South African National Defence Force, Cross Border Road Transport Agency, and various traffic authorities during the Easter period.
He was speaking on Monday during a media briefing in Hatfield, Pretoria, where he outlined the accelerated security control measures at the ports of entry.
Requirements for travellers
He also announced border control issues and deployments, requirements for travellers, and adjusted operational hours at certain ports of entry.
This year’s Easter period will run from March 29 to April 1.
“We will be deploying 400 additional junior border guards at the selected busiest ports of entry to assist with the delivery of services and the provision of law-enforcement support during this period,” Masiapato said.
“The majority of the additional border guards would be deployed at Beit Bridge, Lebombo, Fiksburg, Maseru Bridge, Telle Bridge, Kosi Bay, and Grobler’s Bridge.
“There are also a number of senior members from the BMA and other law-enforcement entities who have been allocated individual ports to provide support to the operational teams on the ground.”
Masiapato explained further: “Information technology support teams have also been deployed to immediately address any kind of system glitch on the ground.
“As in the previous deployment, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has been engaged to provide additional infrastructure such as temporary lighting, special temporary barricades, jojo tankers for the provision of water to the travellers at selected land ports, and generators to ensure an uninterrupted power system.”
The plan is divided into phases
He said this year’s Easter period operational plan is divided into four phases.
“The first phase is the planning phase, which commenced on the 25th of January 2024 and will be concluded today on the 25th of March 2024.
“Part of the planning phase included the conduct of situational analysis, which was conducted at the port and regional levels for the purpose of determining the specific needs for each port of entry.
“At this phase, various needs were identified, such as the need for the extension of operating hours for those ports that do not operate on a 24-hour basis.
“The second phase is the execution phase, which will run from Tuesday, the 26th of March 2024, to Thursday, the 4th of April 2024.
“The execution phase consists of the exit and return legs, of which the exit is expected to peak on Thursday, March 28, as travellers exit the republic for various Easter-related activities.
“The return leg is expected to peak on Monday, April 1, when travellers return to the country.
“The third phase would be the demobilisation phase, which would commence on Friday, April 5, followed by the implementation of the sustenance phase on April 6, until the next festive period of December 2024 and January 2025.”
Masiapata warned public transporters not to transport illegal migrants across the ports of entry and border law-enforcement areas.
“Further, we will continue to impose administrative fines on various transporters, and engagements have been held with bus companies that have been noted as regular transgressors in transporting illegal migrants,” he said.
Yellow fever-endemic areas
All travellers arriving from yellow fever-endemic areas are required to have in their possession a valid yellow-fever certificate.
Conveyancers from yellow fever and malaria-endemic areas, said Masiapato, must ensure that their transports coming to South Africa are accordingly disinfected.
The BMA is the third national armed law-enforcement authority in the country.
Established in April 2023, it is mandated to facilitate and manage the legitimate movements of people and goods across all 52 land ports of entry, 10 international airports, and nine sea ports.
