Electronic traveller verification to strengthen South Africa’s borders

BMA
Johannesburg – The Border Management Authority says it will closely monitor its officials at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe to prevent involvement in the illegal movement of goods and undocumented migrants.

BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said more than 50 officials have already been dismissed for failing to comply with security measures and for engaging in activities that damaged the authority’s image.

She warned that any officials found facilitating illegal activities would face consequences, stressing that the BMA remains firm in its anti-corruption stance.

“If there are officials that are facilitating this, from the side of border management; I assure you, there will be consequence management.”

“We are not apologetic on our anti-corruption stance. We are not apologetic on stance illegal activities. We are cleaning out. You will remember that in the past two months, we were able to announce that 50 of our officials were dismissed out of the BMA system because of those activities that are tarnishing the image of the BMA,” SABC News quoted Mogotsi as saying.

Meanwhile, BMA Commissioner Mike Masiapato said Leon Schreiber is expected to launch a new high-tech border management system aimed at combating illegal migration, passport fraud and corruption at ports of entry.

According to Masiapato, the system will introduce facial recognition technology and electronic traveller verification to strengthen border security and improve the detection of undocumented individuals.

The commissioner also praised border guards and law enforcement agencies after the interception of a massive drug consignment worth an estimated R998.2 million at the Beitbridge Port of Entry.

The drugs were seized on 27 May 2026 during an intelligence-driven operation coordinated by the BMA’s National Border Targeting Centre. Officials intercepted a truck travelling from Malawi into South Africa and, after scanning the cargo, discovered suspicious substances hidden inside.

A physical search lasting about eight hours led to the discovery of ABBA (methaqualone), a substance commonly used in the manufacture of mandrax.

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