By Daanyaal Matthews
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has hailed the Easter period as a success, reporting a 63% reduction in illegal border crossings compared to the same period last year.
The BMA attributes this achievement to the introduction of new technology—most notably a fleet of high-tech drones, which Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber announced as a significant step forward in securing the Republic’s borders.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat, Mmemme Mogotsi, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communications and Marketing at the BMA, praised the department’s efforts. She emphasised that this milestone was reached just two years into the Authority’s existence, and when considered alongside successes during the previous December period, it reflects the growing strength and effectiveness of the BMA.
“You’d remember in December we recorded over 200% of undocumented persons [compared to the previous period] that were intercepted in the various ports of entry. So this is good work indeed, and our existence in the state is trying to demonstrate the seriousness of South Africa’s security aspect, ensuring that we prevent illegal immigrants from entering our country,” stated Mogotsi.
Mogotsi further noted the presence of drones and body cameras, which allowed officials to better scan terrain and apprehend suspects, especially those that facilitate the illegal movement of people into the Republic.
“For the first time we were able to identify the facilitators of illegal movement. So, we have been grappling with people creating holes in our different areas in the fences, but at this point we were able to look at the patterns of those damaging infrastructure and facilitating illegal entry and exit,” added Mogotsi.
Listen to the full interview here:
