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Protecting SA`s porous borders tops Parliament`s list after recess

Source: Business Day Live, 15/08/2016

SOUTH Africa`s fragmented border management model will be one of the
first issues addressed by Parliament following the recess for the
local government elections.

The portfolio committee on home affairs would begin processing the
Border Management Authority Bill on Tuesday.

"Public comments will ensure that the bill is strengthened and fits
the purpose with which it was intended to achieve‚" chairperson Lemias
Mashile said on Sunday. He added that stakeholders and the public were
invited to make submissions.

This bill — which the committee noted at its last meeting in June was
a modified name as "the authority was called the agency in the former
draft of the bill" — was drafted to establish a Border Management
Authority that would remedy the fragmented border management model
currently being utilised.

"This fragmented model has resulted in a variety of challenges in
relation to control of the country`s borders. The bill seeks to
establish a single implementing entity under a single executive
authority‚" Mashile said.

The bill was necessitated by "inefficiencies resulting from having
many government departments co-ordinating and often duplicating the
securing of SA`s land‚ sea and air borders (and contributing) ... to
the porous 5,244km border"‚ the committee noted in June.

"The bill and related authority aim to centralise the border-related
responsibilities of‚ among other things‚ the Department of Home
Affairs‚ the South African National Defence Force and (South African)
Police Service‚ Customs of the Revenue Service as well as aspects of
the departments of agriculture‚ environment and health."

The departments of home affairs‚ police and finance are to give
briefings on Tuesday.

After briefings‚ public hearings and written submissions‚ the bill was
expected to be finalised in the last quarter of 2016 or early in 2017.

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