Cape Town - South Africa’s border posts will see a boost in security personnel, including Public Order Police (Pops) who will work overtime to curb threats and risks over the festive season.
The major economic and migrant route, Beitbridge, will have an additional capacity of 30 Pops and four Sars-customs security personnel, Lebombo will receive 88 Pops and eight Sars-customs security personnel, the Maserubridge port will get 16 Pops and six Sars-customs security personnel, and Ficksburg 16 pops and four Sars-customs security personnel.
The Groblersbridge port will get 14 Pops, and Oshoek and Kopfotein four additional Sars-customs security personnel.
More South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officers are also expected at the borders.
The Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority (BMA) on Tuesday presented their joint readiness plan for safer festive season operations to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs in efforts to prevent and intercept security threats posed to border ports and ports of entry.
Deputy commissioner for operations Major-General David Chilembe said the 2022/23 safer festive season operations will be the first post Covid-19 restrictions.
“This means we are anticipating high volumes in terms of the number of travellers coming and going into the country. It was therefore critical that planning and guidelines were made.
There have been frequent incidents reported during peak periods that impacted on the integrity of border security.
“These risks and vulnerabilities do not only have an effect on port operations, but also have a potential impact on national security, as the porousness of the borders allows for uncontrolled movement of people, some of whom may be wanted fugitives.
“It should be noted that the assessment includes both the ports of entry as well as the borderlines, and also includes smuggling, cross-border transportation, and clearing agents” said Chilembe.
Additional infrastructure has also been requested; this includes eight chemical toilets, six portable water tanks, tents 100L Diesel for standby generators and bottled water.
BMA Commissioner Dr Nakampe Masiapato said in the past they received complaints about people having to go to the bushes to relieve themselves.
The execution phase of all the plans is expected to start on December 7, until January 11 next year. Demobilization and withdrawal of the operations commences on January 12.
Home Affairs Minister Motsoaledi Aaron Motsoaledi said the MBA officers were not peace officers under the law meaning they could not conduct search and seizure operations on their own but would do this through the assistance of police.
“I spoke to the minister of Justice Ronald Lamola about it and checked with his office.
“I received an update today which he has signed and they are busy preparing a government gazette.
Once it passes it means all the border guards will gave their status of peace officers. “They can make arrests, conduct the searches and seizure operations under the Criminal Procedure Act.
“This is a very important development,” he said.
DA MP Angel Khanyile commended the developments.
“I would have liked that the presentation showed that proper consultations with neighbouring countries were done. In 2021 there were numerous reports that in those long traffic in Lebombo and Beitbridge one issues no proper communication.”
ANC MP Moleboheng Modise said efforts that will be undertaken by South African authorities must also be done by neighbouring countries.
“There must be formal cooperation with the MBA and our counterparts on the other side of the borders to ensure that they also employ the same measures on the ground to control and manage the borders during the festive season,” she said.
Modise said she hoped the 200 cohorts that have been deployed in the past two months will carry their duties with high standards and that plans were in place to ensure they remain principled and not accept bribes.
Cape Times