SA Home Affairs reviewing its ports of entries

Source: SA Home Affairs reviewing its ports of entries, 21/10/2016

– SA Home Affairs reviewing its ports of entries
The South African Home Affairs Department is in the process of
reviewing all its ports of entries to check whether there is a need to
increase them.


This is after residents of Mbuzini village in Mpumalanga, near the
border of South Africa and Mozambique, made calls to have another
border post opened in their area.


The area is where the late former Mozambican President Samora Machel
and 34 others, died when the presidential aircraft crashed in
1986.

The residents are forced to travel about 100
kilometres to cross into Mozambique at the Lebombo Border post in
Komatipoort.


Some of the residents risk their lives by crossing the fence which
separates the two countries illegally. The fence is manned by the
South African National Defence Force.


At the current moment the department is reviewing all its ports of
entry. Home Affairs Spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete says the process of
establishing a port of entry is very costly.


"At the current moment the department is reviewing all its ports of
entry because there is a view amongst the department that we might
have too many ports of entry and having port of entries not only
speaking to the issues that are raised, there is also cost to the
department and for the country in terms of capacity of resources to
port of entry to make sure we direct safely and we make sure that all
movement is regular. So we are currently reviewing our ports of
entry."


Tshwete says the department is exploring different options which will
be of benefit to the community of Mbuzini. He says they might install
what they call a community crossing similar to the one erected in the
North West at an area called Tsidilamolomo.


"What we may do in that particular area we are currently considering
is putting something similar to what we have put in some other ports
of entry which is the a community crossing whereby we take the finger
print of both side and we put an un manned technology system that
allows movement only with the use of finger print that is something we
are looking at. But when we are close to conclusion we will sit down
with the community and engage them further on the option we are
putting on the table."


Tshwete says the Department of Home Affairs is currently verifying and
checking the cost effectiveness of the exercise before reaching its
conclusion and engaging the residents.
--sabc—