Border guards intercept 303 smuggled cars

Thupeyo Mleya

The newly introduced Border Management Authority (BMA) intercepted 303 vehicles that were being smuggled out of South Africa since its deployment last year.

Most of the vehicles were being smuggled out via Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.
The smuggling of vehicles has become rampant around the border line and the Government is losing millions of dollars in import revenue annually.

A modest car is charged 96 percent import duty inclusive of VAT and Surtax on the total invoice value.

Indications are that most of these cars are stolen from rental cars in South Africa, while thefts are orchestrated by insurance fraud syndicates in that country.

While giving his budget proposal speech on Monday, South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber said to improve its operational capacity, the Border Management Authority deployed an additional 400 junior border guards after an eight-month training programme.

The majority of the guards were deployed at key and vulnerable land ports of entry such as Beitbridge going into Zimbabwe, Lebombo and Kosi Bay going into Mozambique, as well as at Maseru and Ficksburg going into Lesotho.

“Their primary tasks include addressing the scourge of illegal entry, the smuggling of illicit cigarettes, stolen high-value vehicles, and stock theft,” he said.

“To date, the BMA’s border guards have intercepted and deported over 296 000 individuals who had attempted to enter the country illegally. In addition, over 303 vehicles were intercepted when criminals attempted to illegally take them out of South Africa.

“These illegal cross-border activities will further be combated after the BMA received funding from the Criminal Asset Recovery Account, which is being utilized to procure critical security and ICT equipment such as drones, body cameras and speed boats.”

The minister said to improve trade facilitation, the BMA is still waiting for proposals from the private sector for the re’design and re-development of the six critical ports of entry through a Public-Private Partnership.