Gigaba inspects border post

Source: Sowetan Live, 05/12/2015

A child believed to be aged between seven and nine was among three
people who were killed by a hippopotamus when they tried to cross the
border illegally by wading across the Limpopo River .
Another child who survived the attack near the Beitbridge border post
with Zimbabwe was rushed to hospital.
Limpopo police spokeswoman Lieutenant Ronel Otto said the bodies of
the two men and a minor child were discovered yesterday morning when
the screams of the child who survived the attack alerted passers-by.
Otto said an inquest docket had been opened to investigate the death
of the minor. The child is thought to be between nine and 11.
Otto said the minor survived sustained injuries and was rushed to a
local hospital.
Yesterday, while visiting Southern Africa's largest port of entry on
land, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said the government would
intensify the level of security and resources at the country's ports
of entry.
Gigaba, along with State Security Minister David Mahlobo and Deputy
Minister Ellen Molekane, were visiting the border post to assess its
state of readiness for the festive season.
In recent years the Beitbridge border post, which is situated near the
town of Musina in Limpopo, has been troubled by security breaches
including undocumented foreigners, human trafficking and the smuggling
of illicit goods.

Part of yesterday's assessment included a walkabout during which the
delegation interacted with customs and home affairs officials on the
ground.
A long queue of travellers carrying heavy luggage on their way to
Zimbabwe had formed outside the home affairs offices.
Gigaba, Molekane and Mahlobo participated in the inspection of a truck
transporting second-hand Japanese cars to Zimbabwe.
While looking inside one of the vehicles, the delegation discovered
that the driver was also carrying goods, including groceries and
electrical appliances, which he failed to declare.
Gigaba said the department had decided to extend operational hours at
all ports of entry, with some expected to be open for 24 hours a day
during the festive season.
He said 78 more officials would be dispatched to border posts, with
the first 17 expected to arrive on December 7.
"The reason we are doing this is because we view people from Zimbabwe
in a positive light. They are coming here to contribute to our
economy. We also live in an environment with a lot of risk. Not all
travellers come into our country with the best of intentions," Gigaba
said.
He said the government would strive to finalise the Border Management
Agency (BMA) Bill to ensure that border control is handed over to the
agency by 2017.
Gigaba said the BMA would be a paramilitary organisation with powers
to make arrests and carry arms. The agency would also incorporate
customs, health and agriculture officials.