Corruption at SA borders ‘cannot be fixed by technology alone’, says Schreiber

Entrance to the Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo. Picture: Nigel Sibanda South Africa’s busiest land border post was the scene of a high-profile ministerial walkabout on Monday, as Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, accompanied by Border Management Authority (BMA) commissioner Michael Masiapato, descended on Beitbridge in Limpopo to assess the port’s operational readiness ahead of one of the country’s peak travel periods. The visit, which covered everything from the banks of the Limpopo River to the port’s drone surveillance operations centre, formed part of a wider strategy to modernise South Africa’s border security infrastructure and curb the surge in illegal crossings that has long threatened national sovereignty and trade.

Schreiber described the visit as both necessary and revealing. “There’s no replacement for being on the ground and seeing for yourself how things are going as we now prepare for the Easter festive period,” he said. “We really covered A to Z today.” During their walkabout, the minister and his team visited the Limpopo River where a specialised amphibious vehicle capable of navigating both water and rough terrain was deployed as a proof of concept.

The vehicle drew significant attention, not least from onlookers on the Zimbabwean side of the river who had reportedly been eyeing potential crossing points before the vehicle’s presence deterred them. Today I was at Beitbridge to inspect the Border Management Authority’s growing enforcement capabilities ahead of the Easter period. With more drones in the sky, boots on the ground, tech in the field, and partnerships in place, we’re building a stronger BMA to better serve SA!

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🇿🇦pic.twitter.com/fL7Xia0gie Despite the long list of challenges, Schreiber expressed confidence that Beitbridge and the BMA are operationally ready to handle the expected surge in legitimate travellers over the Easter weekend. Beitbridge remains the country’s busiest land border in terms of traffic, serving as a gateway not only to Zimbabwe but also to several other southern African countries further north. “The BMA is ready.

The operational plans, the advantage is these kinds of operations, you learn from one and you roll it into the next. So we just had the festive season concluding, we’re now going into the Easter period, and taking some of those lessons forward and refining as we proceed,” the minister said. “I’m confident that as far as it goes for legitimate travellers, people who need to travel over Easter, that the process is in place.”

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