BMA Assistant Commissioner Joyce Sebanyoni said joint operations with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders were helping to ease congestion and strengthen security at one of the country’s busiest border crossings.

Sebanyoni said the authority had deployed additional resources, including armoured vehicles and drones, to curb criminal activity along the border, particularly in the Limpopo River area, which is frequently used for illegal crossings.

The BMA has also established a dedicated drone operations response team to enhance surveillance and rapid response capabilities. According to Sebanyoni, the visible deployment of armoured vehicles is intended to act as a deterrent to cross-border crime while border processes continue uninterrupted.

She said lessons learnt during the outbound festive travel period were being applied to manage the expected influx of returning travellers more efficiently.

“We have put together our drone operations response team and rolled out a project involving armoured vehicles that serve as a deterrent. While we focus on processing travellers at the border post, we are mindful that illegal activities may take place along the borderline,” Sebanyoni said.

She added that the Commissioner of the BMA had confirmed that systems and processes were in place to ensure operational readiness.

“With the return leg, we are re-emphasising that we are ready. We have strengthened coordination and improved our systems based on what we learnt during the departure phase,” she said.

–SABC/ChannelAfrica–