South Africa Parliament Standing Committee on Finance Visits Beitbridge Border Post

South Africa’s Parliament Standing Committee on Finance conducted an oversight visit to the Beitbridge Border Post on Thursday, a critical port of entry in facilitating regional and international trade, where expansion works are set to begin between April and March.

The neighbouring country has set in motion plans to expand its facilities ahead of the implementation of the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) concept with Zimbabwe.

Under the OSBP, the two countries share a harmonised border operation to simplify the way business and travellers are cleared once for passage into either country.

Zimbabwe has already completed the transformation of infrastructure on its side of the border for US$300 million under a build, operate and transfer concession with the Zimborders Consortium.

The new-look and automated border was built to house the OSBP, with three terminals customised to handle commercial traffic, buses, light vehicles and pedestrians.

In a statement, Border Management Authority (BMA) spokesperson Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mmemme Mogotsi said the committee visited Durban Port (January 27), OR Tambo International Airport (January 28) and Beitbridge Border Post (January 29) to observe selected operational areas for verification of reported performance and control.

“BMA Commissioner and CEO Dr Michael Masiapato will be on the ground to welcome the Standing Committee during its oversight visit to offer insights into the workings of the organisation at the coalface of service delivery,” she said.

At Beitbridge, the BMA provided a site overview of port operations, including lane configuration, queue management, peak patterns and risk profiles associated with the transportation of tobacco, fuel, counterfeit goods and cash.

In addition, the committee, led by its chairperson Dr Mkhacani Joseph Maswanganyi, observed port operations in commercial cargo movement facilitation, inspection capacity, movement facilitation and documentation checks.

The parliamentarians also had the opportunity to observe how travellers are processed at the port of entry, with particular focus on baggage screening, safeguarding of vulnerable travellers, clearance times and seizures, among others.

“The BMA welcomes the oversight visit because it highlights the Select Committee on Finance’s commitment to ensuring not only that the BMA is accountable in how it spends public funds, but also how this parliamentary body works together with the BMA to ensure the organisation is sufficiently funded to meet its mandated objectives, and the committee’s support role in the value chain of border management work,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mogotsi.