Home Affairs ready for Easter long weekend influx
The Department of Home Affairs says it is ready for the Easter season influx of travelers who will be traveling through the country’s ports of entry.
In 2018, South Africa recorded 1.2 million traveller movements during the Easter period. One in four travellers were South Africans.
Addressing the media in Pretoria earlier today, Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele said the department has put in place plans to ease the movement of people and goods.
“The plans are a demonstration of coordination amongst government departments and agencies and the strength of relations we enjoy with our neighbouring countries.
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“Each Easter and festive season, an operational plan is prepared to ease traveller movements because our ports of entry record higher numbers of traveller movements during these periods. During the Easter period, most of the movements are for tourism and religious purposes,” Minister Cwele said.
Cwele appealed to members of the public who are planning to travel through the ports to comply with all the respective legislation.
“Some travellers experience unnecessary delays that results in congestion at the ports because they do not confirm requirements prior to travelling,” Cwele said, adding that prospective travellers can contact immigration officials to confirm the documents required for their travel.
Top five nationalities who travelled through the South African ports of Entry were Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Outside the region, the highest numbers came from the United Kingdom, United States of America and Germany.
Minister Cwele said his department and other departments have prepared adequately for the Easter period to ensure easing movement of people and goods in and out of the country.
“Accordingly, an integrated operational plan for port operations will be implemented from this coming Tuesday. This operational plan aims to ensure that services are delivered at ports of entry where only legitimate people and goods are allowed to enter or depart the country.
Also Read: Border operating hours extended
“We aim for a secure port of entry where potential violators are deterred, threats and inadmissible people, goods and conveyances are intercepted, legitimate trade and travel are facilitated and operations and outcomes are consistent,” Cwele said.
Extended operational hours
In a bid to ensure easy travelling, the Department of Home Affairs has also announced that it will be extending operational hours at all the country’s ports of entry.
Extended Operating Hours at Ports of Entry 2019 Easter Period
- Lebombo: 06:00 – 00:00 – 24 hours – 6 hours from 17-29 April 2019
- Mananga: 07:00 – 18:00; 07:00 – 20:00 – 2 hours from 18-20 April 2019
- Jeppes Reef: 07:00 – 20:00; 07:00 – 22:00 – 2 hours from 18-19 April 2019
- Oshoek: 07:00 – 00:00 – 24 hours – 7hrs from 18-21 April 2019
