The authority unveiled plans to redesign and redevelop key border infrastructure as part of a broader strategy to curb illegal immigration and the movement of illicit goods.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato confirmed that the Authority has developed a Public-Private Partnership model aimed at upgrading the country’s busiest commercial land ports in the coming financial year. The initiative forms part of government’s wider push to strengthen border security and improve trade facilitation.
Speaking during an oversight visit to the Ficksburg port of entry into Lesotho, Commissioner Masiapato outlined that six major commercial land ports are prioritised for redevelopment. These include Beitbridge on the Zimbabwe corridor, Lebombo on the Mozambique route, ports along Corridor 17, as well as Ficksburg and the Maseru Bridge linking SA to Lesotho.
The visit formed part of the implementation of the BMA’s 2025/2026 Festive Season Security Plan, a period traditionally associated with increased cross-border movement. SA shares land borders with six neighbouring countries, placing sustained pressure on ports of entry, particularly during peak travel seasons.
The planned redesigns are expected to enhance surveillance capacity, streamline movement, and reduce vulnerabilities that enable undocumented migration and cross-border crime.
Meanwhile, law enforcement operations along the northern border have already yielded results. At the Beitbridge border post outside Musina in Limpopo, officers intercepted illicit goods being smuggled across the Limpopo River between SA and Zimbabwe.
Assistant Commissioner Balene Mkhabela, who was conducting a fact-finding visit to the area, confirmed that smugglers were using makeshift boats to ferry goods across the river under the cover of informal crossing points.
The BMA has indicated that infrastructure upgrades, combined with improved coordination between border agencies, are central to tightening control at ports of entry and disrupting criminal networks operating along SA’s borders.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
