South Africa

South Africa does not have enough money to secure its borders

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber revealed that the Border Management Authority (BMA) has a significant budget shortfall and has far more vacant positions than staff.

The BMA was established on 1 April 2023 as part of a new integrated border management policy. Previously, South Africa used a multi-agency approach in its border management agenda through seven departments and agencies.

This multi-agency approach was ineffective in addressing the national security threats and challenges in the border environment.

The BMA was formed to execute frontline border law enforcement functions, including port health, immigration control, biosecurity and food safety.

Through the BMA, the government hopes that the country can adapt and respond effectively to the threats and opportunities in the border environment.

It must also safeguard South Africa’s borders and meet its national, regional and global developmental responsibilities.

However, there is a problem: the BMA does not get enough money to fulfil its mandate.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told parliament that the BMA’s shortfall over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period is R4.35 billion.

The shortfall resulted from the BMA not receiving the full requested funding from the National Treasury.

Secondly, the transferring Departments transferred an accurate budget for the Compensation of Employees (CoE) and did not transfer the full budget for goods and services.

The shortfall significantly affects the agency’s human resources, information communications technology (ICT) needs, and tools of trade.

Schreiber added that the BMA’s approved structure should have 11,115 employees. However, as of 30 June 2024, only 2,566 positions had been filled at the BMA, leaving 8,549 vacant.

The BMA must fill 3,207 positions within the next three years to ensure alignment with the total approved organisational structure.

“The area of focus for urgent capacitation is the ports of entry, including the critical support positions, which are critical for governance purposes,” he said.

Another challenge is technology. It plays a crucial role in enhancing national security in border management.

Schreiber said the BMA needs to invest in technology to automate processes and increase efficiencies at ports of entry.

The main deterrent to BMA’s investment in ICT infrastructure and technologies is current funding constraints.

“Therefore, the BMA must critically invest in ICT infrastructure to enable efficient delivery of its mandate,” he said.

The same goes for tools of trade and technologies that would assist the operational staff in adequately rendering the mandate.

These tools include patrol vehicles, firearms and ammunition, communication devices, body-worn cameras, and surveillance equipment.

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