SA to deploy 400 border guards to its borders

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

SOUTH Africa will on Thursday deploy 400 more border guards to its major ports of entry including Beitbridge, which is the nucleus of human movement and trade in the Southern African region.

These (border guards) fall under the newly established Border Management Authority (BMA) and will be dispatched to 71 ports of entry after the pass out parade set for Pretoria on Wednesday.

President Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa met at Beitbridge Port of Entry in October last year to oversee the launch of the new Border Management Authority (BMA) in the neighbouring country.

At the launch, Zimbabwe and South Africa re-affirmed the need to tighten screws on border crimes along the Limpopo River and at the Beitbridge port of entry where cases of irregular migrations and smuggling of prohibited goods are rampant.

BMA’s commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, confirmed the development.

“On the day, the nation will witness the culmination of their physical and mental training, with displays expected to be done on the ground during the event,” he said.

“We will celebrate not only their achievements but also reaffirm our steadfast support to the border guards. They are to be officially adorned not just as defenders of borders; they are the guardians of our freedom, the sentinels of our sovereignty,” Dr Masiapato added.

He said the pass-out event will gather ministers and border law enforcement stakeholders to witness the event.

More than 100 border management response vehicles will be displayed on the day. The Junior Border Guards are set to be charged with the responsibility to arrest and deport illegal migrants across all the ports entry and the border law enforcement areas.