Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to urgently address unacceptable poor services, resulting in long queues at South African border posts.
In a Home Affairs parliamentary portfolio meeting on 7 March the DA reminded the Minister and Border Management Authority (BMA) that there are border posts other than Beitbridge and called for the urgent resolution of the issues, specifically those reported at the Eswatini post at Oshoek and Komatipoort / Lebombo border post with Mozambique. Almost three weeks later and the situation has worsened.
These issues include only one operating desk at passport control, problems with faulty generators, a lack of coordination between the Border Management Authority and the South African Revenue Service and lack of law enforcement in the kilometre long queues leading up to the border post.
These queues stretch for kilometres and residents report that they often can’t leave for work in Malelane/Nelspruit or take their children to school. This cannot be allowed to continue.
The Minister promised that the BMA would resolve issues of border control and coordination but has only served to create another entity with millionaire managers and insufficient funding from Treasury for much needed boots on the ground.
These unnecessary delays not only slow trade but badly affect regular travellers and communities around these border posts. The government is aware of the situation but does not seem to care. The DA calls on the Minister to resolve these issues with the greatest of urgency.
Regards
Adrian Roos MP
DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
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