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Thupeyo Muleya in Musina, South Africa

ZIMBABWE and South Africa have 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 migration and smuggling of goods are rampant.

Presidents Mnangagwa and Cyril Ramaphosa met on the South Africa side of the Beitbridge Border Post yesterday to oversee the launch of the new Border Management Authority (BMA) in the neighbouring country.

The two countries have of late been collaborating on fighting crime at their border and in July last year South Africa deployed 200 border guards to five of its land borders. The guards fall under the newly established BMA and are deployed to the borders with Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini, which have been classified as hotspots for cross-border crimes.

It is understood that the launch of the BMA follows its formal establishment and assumption of its status as a schedule 3 (A) public entity on 1 April 2023.

Under the new establishment, South Africa now has an integrated border management platform, with a single command and control with which to support the attainment of secure borders, safe travel and trade.

President Ramaphosa officially launched the entity and handed over a sword to the Commissioner of the BMA to delegate the powers to lead the third law enforcement authority in that country. The development is set to complement what Zimbabwe is already implementing on the ground.

Last year, the Zimbabwe Government deployed the National Task Force to the border line to prevent cases of irregular movement of people between the two countries. In addition, the Department of Immigration has created a regional compliance and enforcement unit made up of multiple authorities.

The team has been intercepting between 150 and 200 people a day going to either country illegally or smuggling goods. It has also helped to curtail criminal activities, among them border jumping, touting, the use of fake immigration stamps, and fake travel documents, along with more serious human trafficking.

President Mnangagwa said during the tour of the border post that he had exchanged notes with his counterpart on what needs to be done to enhance security and the ease of doing business including the construction of the relevant infrastructure on both sides of the border.

“So, we have exchanged notes on what we need to do to enhance the ease of doing business including the construction of the relevant infrastructure on both sides of the border,” he said.

“We met in New York and had a chat with my brother and he told me he was coming to Musina and we agreed to come and meet…we are here,” said President Mnangagwa. 

Speaking during the launch, President Ramaphosa said the event marked a fulfilment of a commitment to establish a single, integrated and efficient authority to manage and secure South Africa’s borders.

He said the BMA was a vital link to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

 President Ramaphosa added that secure borders are important for curbing illegal migration, human smuggling, trafficking and will help in combating cross-border crime.

“When our country’s ports of entry and borders are well-protected and well-managed, we are able to prevent the illegal importation and exit of goods,” he said.

 “We are able to facilitate lawful trade at a greater scale and more efficiently. This is becoming increasingly important as we work with other countries in our region and elsewhere on the continent to increase intra-African trade.

“We see the Border Management Authority as a vital link in our efforts to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

The BMA, he said, was tasked to ensure that the country’s immigration laws and regulations are upheld and enforced.