The Border Management Authority (BMA) has dismissed 17 officials following disciplinary proceedings linked to fraud, corruption, internal-control breaches and other forms of misconduct.
The dismissals form part of a broader crackdown on corruption at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry, with the BMA warning that enforcement will increasingly extend beyond land borders to airports and seaports.
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the agency was taking a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and misconduct.
“We reaffirm our zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry.”
Masiapato was speaking at the quarterly anti-corruption campaign of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) at OR Tambo International Airport.
57 disciplinary cases handled by BMA
According to the BMA, 57 labour-relations and disciplinary cases involving internal-control breaches, fraud, corruption and other misconduct were dealt with during the past quarter.
The outcomes were:
- 17 officials dismissed
- Two officials given final warnings
- One official suspended without pay
- Two officials acquitted because of insufficient evidence
- 33 cases remain in the disciplinary process
The figures provide an indication of the scale of disciplinary action being taken internally as the authority attempts to strengthen accountability among its employees.
Anti-corruption campaign expands beyond land borders
The BMA says its anti-corruption campaign will no longer focus exclusively on land crossings.
Airports are now included in the campaign, while a seaport is expected to be targeted during the next quarter before the initiative returns to another airport.
“We are no longer limiting ourselves to our land borders. We are bringing this campaign to our airports and, in the next quarter, we will be going to one of our sea ports, before returning to another airport,” Masiapato said.
The move reflects the BMA’s view that corruption risks can arise across the country’s entire border-management system, rather than being confined to specific types of entry points.
OR Tambo International Airport among areas under scrutiny
Masiapato said most of the outstanding disciplinary cases involve employees working at OR Tambo International Airport.
The airport is one of South Africa’s key international gateways, making integrity among officials operating there particularly important to the country’s border-management system.
The BMA has not indicated that all officials facing disciplinary action are accused of corruption specifically; its quarterly figures include cases involving a broader range of misconduct and internal-control breaches.
Forum brings law enforcement agencies together
The anti-corruption campaign is being conducted through the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum, which brings together border-management, law-enforcement and other government institutions.
The forum is chaired by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and is intended to strengthen cooperation in preventing, detecting and investigating corruption at South Africa’s ports of entry.
Masiapato said a coordinated response was necessary because corruption could occur at any type of port of entry.
“Corruption does not discriminate by port of entry, and neither can we.”
He said the BMA’s strategy needed to remain integrated and adaptable to the threats facing the country’s border-management system.
BMA commissioner acknowledges impact of dismissals
While defending disciplinary action as necessary to protect the organisation’s integrity, Masiapato acknowledged that suspensions and dismissals can have consequences beyond the officials involved.
“As the accounting authority, I do not get joy from signing suspension or dismissal letters,” he said, adding that the impact could extend to the families of affected employees.
The BMA’s latest disciplinary figures come as South Africa continues efforts to strengthen border controls while dealing with challenges including illegal immigration, organised crime and corruption.
With the anti-corruption campaign now expanding to airports and planned operations at seaports, the authority’s approach is increasingly focused on addressing misconduct across the entire border-management network.
