South Africa – The Border Management Authority (BMA) has dismissed 17 officials for misconduct linked to fraud, corruption and breaches of internal controls as the agency intensifies its crackdown on wrongdoing at the country’s ports of entry.
According to IOL, the dismissals followed 57 labour-relations and disciplinary cases dealt with by the BMA during the past quarter.
Of those cases, 17 resulted in dismissals, while two officials received final warnings and another was suspended without pay. Two employees were acquitted because of insufficient evidence, while 33 cases remain in the disciplinary process.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said the authority was adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.
“We reaffirm our zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry,” Masiapato said.
The crackdown is also being extended beyond land borders. Masiapato said the BMA would target corruption at airports and seaports as part of its anti-corruption campaign.
Broader purge of corrupt officials
“We are no longer limiting ourselves to our land borders. We are bringing this campaign to our airports and, in the next quarter, we will be going to one of our sea ports, before returning to another airport,” he said.
EWN reported that some of the officials were dismissed for accepting bribes of as little as R20 or R50, highlighting the extent of the corruption concerns facing the authority.
Masiapato said corruption could occur at any port of entry and required a coordinated response.
“Corruption does not discriminate by port of entry, and neither can we. Our strategy must be as dynamic and integrated as the threats we face,” he said.
The latest action follows a broader purge of corrupt officials within the BMA. In March, SAnews reported that more than 50 immigration officials had been dismissed for corrupt activities at ports including Beitbridge, Lebombo, Oshoek, Maseru Bridge and OR Tambo International Airport, with a further 38 officials under investigation.
Disciplinary action
The BMA has also introduced additional measures to strengthen accountability. eNCA reported that BMA officers will be equipped with body cameras as part of efforts to reduce corruption and improve oversight at border crossings.
Masiapato acknowledged the personal consequences of disciplinary action but said protecting the integrity of the institution remained necessary.
“As the accounting authority, I do not get joy from signing suspension or dismissal letters,” he said. “Every time I sign those letters, it pains me, because it is not only the official who is going to suffer; it is his or her family that suffers the most.”
The government has previously backed the BMA’s anti-corruption drive, describing the dismissal of corrupt officials as part of efforts to protect the integrity and security of South Africa’s ports of entry.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
