The Border Management Authority (BMA) expects approximately 22,000 people to cross through the Lebombo border post during the Easter holidays.
BMA Commissioner Dr. Mike Masiapato announced that they have enhanced security measures, which include the deployment of drones and body cameras. BMA authorities are using drones to monitor certain areas around the Lebombo border post. Scores of travellers are expected to use the port of entry over the Easter weekend.
“We are busy processing people that are intending to exit South Africa into the Mozambique side; however, we are expecting the peak to be tomorrow, mainly Thursday, as people would be exiting for Good Friday as it were, he told the SABC on Wednesday.
Drones and cameras deployed at Lebombo border post
Masiapato said many Mozambican nationals were unable to return home during the December holidays due to political tensions in Mozambique. He said many were expected to use the Easter period to return to the country.
“On average, Lebombo processes around 13 000 people on a daily basis. In terms of cargo, we process between 1 500 to 2 000 trucks per day.”
“So in this particular instance, when we get to high peak around this time, we expect the traffic to reach a maximum of 22,000 that we have to process a day in terms of people,” he said.
Each day, 13,000 people and 2,000 trucks pass through the Lebombo border, prompting BMA to implement a bypass system that streamlines operations.
“We basically have created this bypass where we have collocated between the immigration officers as well as the customs officers,” Masiapato continued.
“The trucks no longer have to stop inside the port per se, where people will have to get out of the truck, go to an office to be processed for customs and immigration.”
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