SA starts working on festive season travellers safety and clearance plan

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) has begun developing a security plan to ensure the safe and smooth flow of travellers at its major border posts, including the Beitbridge port of entry, which handles close to 500,000 people during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

In a statement, the BMA said the plan will be launched on December 7 in Pretoria.
“The Commissioner (Dr Michael Masiapato) will, as part of festive season deployment, be visiting Ficksburg on 17 and 18 December and Maseru Bridge on 19 December 2025. There will be a walk-about of the entire port including vulnerable areas and on 21 – 25 December, he will be in Lebombo,” said the BMA.

“On the festive season return leg he will cover the Beitbridge border post from 02 – 05 January 2026.”
On the Zimbabwean side, the Acting Head of Immigration for the Southern region, which covers Beitbridge, Masvingo, Chiredzi, and Sango border posts, Mr Moses Mutepfe, said the transformed border post and automation of services have contributed to improved efficiencies during both off-peak and peak periods.

He explained that the separation of traffic into freight, buses, light vehicles, and pedestrians has enabled them to offer customised services and minimise delays in clearing travellers.

Mr Mutepfe added that on a normal day, they clear around 10,000 people across three terminals, with numbers peaking at nearly 18,000 during major public holidays.

“As a department we have introduced electronic gates (eGates) and the online passenger clearance systems to do away with manual systems which often delay the smooth flow of travellers through this border,” he said.

“We appreciate the work that has been done here by the Government and their partners Zimborders Consortium in transforming this port of entry.”

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) regional manager for Beitbridge, Mrs Josephine Uta, said the revenue authority has also automated services and deployed hi-tech equipment to improve service delivery at the border.

“We now have drone surveillance systems, cargo and baggage scanners, and automated out systems to drive efficiencies at this multi-million dollar facility and we work as a team with other border agencies in troubleshooting challenges,” said Mrs Uta.

Zimborders Consortium general manager Mr Nqobile Ncube said they have observed an increase in commercial cargo passing through the border post daily due to improved efficiency systems.

He noted they have implemented an automated tracking system to monitor the flow of cargo through the border.
“We have reached our optimal levels and we hope to increase as more efficient systems kick in. At the moment we are processing 1,000 cargo trucks daily, an increase from around 547 post construction in 2021,” he said.