Minister for Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor, in her recent budget debate (click hyperlink to view full speech) to parliment, made brief allusion to the establishment of a Border Management Agency (BMA) in South Africa. The Agency will ensure coordination of and co-operation among the departments operating at South African points of entry and along our borders. The BMA will be led by the Department of Home Affairs and will involve SARS, SANDF, SAPS, Health and Agriculture. At present, focused attention is being paid to improving the management, capacity, and infrastructure at ports of entry. Last year over R110 million was allocated to ports of entry infrastructure via the Public Works budget. This year over R130 million is being made available in the DHA budget. A number of our ports of entry have been equipped with the enhanced movement control system (EMCS) while introducing the advanced passenger processing system (APP) for airlines. Source: Info.gov.za
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What Happened to the Portcullis? 
Is this like the last period of panic and excitement about 4y ago when it was to be set up in a matter of weeks/months or is this the real thing??
P
Peter, lets just say its ‘politics’…
Hi Mike. Where does this leave SARS as the appointed lead agency? Shuffling the BMA concept between government organisations over the last few years has not really allowed the process to find root for meaningful growth.
One must admit that there has been visible growth and forward movement whilst the concept has been with SARS since the days of the National Interdepartmental Structure (NIDS), even without a structured legislative mandate.
Will a move back to the DHA really be a resolve, or are we just going around the mountain again?
Regards
Robby
Hi Robby, nice to hear from you again. Personally I don’t think any single agency has the capability to manage a BMA given the over-lapping legal mandates. I think there was perhaps more traction in the early days. While there remains no political will to address the legal aspects, and an even more dire in dearth of skills, cooperative border management will remain a pipe-dream.
When is this BMA starting at the port of entry,I’m 6 years old in Vioolsdrft border,I’m a constable so do I have a post and how much will the salary and allowances because I’m 1000 kilos away from home without any allowance.