We’ll not apologise for managing our borders, other countries do it too, says Motsoaledi

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has slammed “dishonest” people who have accused South Africa of trying to isolate itself from other African nations by deploying guards to its borders.

In July last year, the department announced the deployment of 200 Border Management Authority (BMA) guards to South Africa’s “five vulnerable segments” of the borderline. The guards are working in partnership with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

“When fully established, the BMA will play a pivotal role in tackling border security challenges impacting on the country and its neighbours, such as uncoordinated traveller processing, cross-border criminality, illegal crossings and undue delays in the facilitation of movement of goods and services. The BMA model will pave the way for the creation of smart border posts and systems and advance trade facilitation in the region,” said the department at the time.

‘We’re on course’

On the second day of the state of the nation address (Sona) debate on Wednesday, Motsoaledi said the project was “on course” and the department was waiting for National Treasury to approve the budget for 400 more border guards.

Motsoaledi slammed those who accused South Africa of trying to isolate itself through this programme, saying the country was not the only one doing everything to ensure security at its borders.

“We have been unjustifiably ridiculed by some dishonest people that we’re trying to isolate South Africa from the rest of the continent when we manage our borders. Surprisingly, at the same time we’re being ridiculed for porous borders,” said Motsoaledi.

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“Every country I know of in the world is interested to know what is going on at their borders; what is coming in and going out. We will not apologise to anybody for deploying border guards to do what other nations of the world are doing.”

According to Motsoaledi, during the festive season, from 7 December 2022 to January 2023, the guards processed 4,037,415 border movements without any hurdle.

“The home affairs team did not have to go to the borders to do any oversight.”

What was confiscated in December

• 2.236 kg of non-compliant regulated agricultural products
• 4 120 pairs of counterfeit shoes
• 8 bars of copper
• 13 vehicles (42 since July) which were about to cross the country
• 11 20-litre containers of diesel
• 13 620 undocumented people who wanted to enter South Africa illegally

Home Affairs digitisation

Motsoaledi further announced that the first cohort of graduates employed to digitise home affairs’ 350 million records completed their training in Benoni last week.

They have been dispatched to all provinces to their start their jobs, said Motsoaledi.

“These young people will be employed for a period of three years to transform paper records into digital files. The advert for the second cohort of 4 000 is out already. All 10 000 young people will be on the job by the end of April 2023,” he said.

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The graduates will help digitise files of records of births, marriages, deaths, IDs and passports dating back to 1895.

According to Motsoaledi, some of these records have helped families claim back their land because they were able to prove through the records who their ancestors were.

“This is a significant milestone for us in home affairs and the citizens of South Africa. There will be no more repeated visits to home affairs offices.”

Home affairs services in malls

Motsoaledi also announced that systems and equipment had already been set up at Menlyn Mall in Tshwane and “ready to roll” in the first week of March.

“In three weeks’ time you may go to Menlyn Mall and experience waiting to be served while you’re doing your shopping.”

After Menlyn Mall, they will go to Cresta Mall in Johannesburg, the Pavillion Mall in eThekwini and the Tyger Valley Mall in Cape Town.

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“We believe that all of those will be functional before the end of the coming financial year [this calendar year].”

Motsoaledi said the home affairs department has negotiated with the malls for free space for the next five years.

“This project is mutualism. We bring people to the mall to shop, and the mall gives us space and other convenience facilities. We both gain.”