SA’s Border Management Authority (BMA) held a press briefing yesterday to release its first quarterly performance report for the 2024/25 financial year, which highlights some of their achievements and challenges that come with managing the country’s 71 ports of entry.
Sowetan spoke to BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato.
Sowetan: How is the BMA addressing corruption within its ranks?
Masiapato: Corruption has been a serious concern, especially from within. Between April 1 and June 10 this year, we dismissed nine officials who violated legislative procedures. This is part of our broader commitment to rooting out internal misconduct.
Sowetan: What’s being done about deeper, systemic corruption?
Masiapato: Section 133 of the Border Management Authority Act mandates that all staff undergo vetting, which is ongoing via the State Security Agency. We also wanted to conduct lifestyle audits through the Special Investigating Unit, beginning with the top 100 officials, but the R9m cost made it unaffordable this year. We remain ready to undergo those audits as soon as funding allows.
Sowetan: Underfunding seems to be a big challenge. What’s the current status?
Masiapato: We initially requested R2.29bn to fully operationalise the BMA in 2023. We received R250m, which only increased incrementally to R350m in the current financial year. We’re functioning at just 20% capacity with 2,500 staff instead of the required 11,200. We only have 600 border guards and just 50 coastal guards.
Sowetan: Despite the challenges, what operational successes can the BMA report?
Masiapato: In the last quarter alone, we processed 8.5-million travellers, intercepted 9,954 illegal entrants, recovered 15 stolen vehicles, seized 98,000 illicit or counterfeit items and detected 14 fraudulent passports. We’ve also introduced new immigration stamps to prevent forgery and six border guards are now licensed drone pilots for aerial surveillance.
Sowetan: What role does the BMA play in preventing public health risks at our borders?
Masiapato: Port health specialists screened travellers for communicable diseases, refused entry to 42 people due to health risks and referred 24 suspected malaria cases to local facilities. They also ensure compliance for imports of food, cosmetics and other health-related products. We are the first line of defence against cross-border health threats.
Sowetan: How is the movement of human remains managed across South African borders?
Masiapato: In this quarter, we processed 986 human remains permits – 44 bodies imported and 942 exported. Permits must be applied for through the national department of health in advance and no permits are issued at the port itself. While cremated remains don’t require a permit, documents such as a death certificate, cremation certificate and ID must accompany the ashes, which must be sealed in an airtight urn.
Sowetan: What measures are in place to ensure passport control, including stamping procedures and entry requirements?
We’ve had to turn away some travellers who did not meet these requirements. Additionally, border guards are now being closely monitored to ensure proper and consistent stamping of passports, as failure to do so can create legal loopholes or aid fraudulent activity.
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