By Johannah Malogadihlare
Almost 60,000 illegal immigrants were stopped from trying to enter South Africa during the festive season.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said this was an increase of over 200% from the previous period.
He was speaking during a briefing with Border Management Authority commissioner Michael Masipato on the 2024/25 festive season report.
SA has managed to stop and deport a total of 468,000 individuals who attempted to enter South Africa illegally since 2022.
The BMA, which significantly ramped up operations over the holidays, said the number of movement recorded between 6 December and 18 January was still less than the pre-Covid number of about six million travellers.
“The BMA facilitated the legitimate movement of about 5,084,251 travellers across our 71 ports of entry in this festive period. This number represents an increase of 51, 680 travellers compared to the 2023/2024 festive period,” Masipato confirmed.
OR Tambo International Airport facilitated a highest number of travellers at 1,065,636, followed by Beitbridge to Zimbabwe at 645,590 and Lebombo to Mozambique at 571,131 travellers.
He also highlighted that Lebombo experienced a decline of about 183,935 travellers due to the disruptions linked to post-Mozambique violence.
Schreiber spoke about deploying more guards to the borders.
“We still have a long way to go to ensure that our ports are efficiently, securely and digitally controlled. It is my desire to see more funding for the BMA so that we can employ more personnel and technology to secure and manage our border,” he said.
A total of 331 vehicles were stopped from being smuggled out of South Africa.
Masipato emphasised that their role was also to protect the country’s agriculture from any threat.
“Our biosecurity experts managed to intercept and seize a number of unauthorised consignments of infested beans, infested wheat, nuts, termites, infested rice, spirogyra algae, soil samples, herbs, unvaccinated poultry, dairy products and tortoises.”
He advised travellers to avoid bringing alien invasive species as well as foreign pests, animals and their products into the country.
The BMA’s team of health specialists screened about 1,746,560 travellers for various infectious and or communicable diseases, which was an increase from 1,497,480.
At Beit Bridge border port, 759 travellers were tested for malaria, and 40 positive cases were detected. The BMA said it has put measures in place to sustain intensified border operations and consolidate border management functions going into Easter period.
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