The Border Management Authority (BMA) received R150 million in funding from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) – against R500 million requested – and has used it to acquire vehicles, firearms, body cameras, scanners, boats, and drones, amongst others. However, it still requires much more.
This was revealed by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in a December reply to a Parliamentary question posed by ActionSA’s Lerato Ngobeni. She was informed more than R60 million has been spent on acquiring vehicles, and these have all been delivered. They include 20 Volkswagen Polo GTIs (R10 million); ten Volkswagen T-Rocs (R6.3 million); 33 Volkswagen Polo Vivos (R9.4 million); 12 Prison Carrier vehicles (R1.3 million); 32 quad bikes (R2.9 million); five Audi S4 sedans (R4.9 million); seven tractors (R9 million); four 65-seater buses (R10 million); and four 35-seater buses (R8.3 million).
Armscor helped the BMA acquire weapons and personal kit for BMA border guards, including 700 Beretta Px4 Storm pistols (R17 million), which will be delivered by the end of March, and 150 R5 assault rifles (R8 million), also expected by the end of March. Ten Scorpio firearms worth R667 000 are being procured. Regarding ammunition, 100 000 rounds of ammunition for the Px4 pistols and 48 000 rounds of R5 ammunition worth a combined R1.1 million have been delivered.
Personal equipment acquired through Armscor includes 400 tactical helmets and 72 binoculars worth a combined R3.3 million; 100 tactical vests (R5 million); and 400 elbow and knee guards and 400 tactical gloves (R1.1 million for both). The procurement of 2 500 body cameras worth R8 million is underway.
Sensors and scanners acquired include eight fibre scope inspection kits and three infrared telescopic cameras (worth a combined R8.9 million) and eight X-ray scanners (R3.5 million). The video scopes/fibre scopes are typically used for remote visual inspection of inaccessible areas by inserting a flexible, fibre-optic cable with a lens and light source. The BMA has fibre scopes at the Beitbridge, Lebombo, and Maseru Bridge ports of entry.
Eight multi-rotor drones have been acquired for R7.6 million, while procurement of two fixed wing drones worth R6 million is underway.
The procurement, also via Armscor, of three inshore patrol boats worth R14 million is ongoing. These will be nine metres long and be powered by two 200 horsepower engines.
Schreiber explained to Ngobeni that the BMA is under capacitated in terms of Human Resources for Ports of Entry and the Border Law Enforcement Area. “The BMA is further under-capacitated in terms of the Information Technology resources; technology for border management and control; and general resources for the efficient and effective management of South African borders,” he stated.
“The National Treasury has not allocated the full requested funding, particularly for goods, services, and capital expenditure, which affects the BMA’s ability to invest in necessary operations and technology,” Schreiber continued.
In July last year, the BMA told Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations (JSCA) and the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs (PCHA) its 2023/24 budget request was R2.9 billion but it received less than half (R1.34 billion). This allocation increased marginally to R1.4 billion in 2024/25, with R1.47 billion allocated for the current 2025/26 financial year.
To make up for the shortfall, the BMA requested R500 million from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account in 2023 but only R150 million was approved. The BMA has requested another R3.4 billion in CARA funding, to be used for the procurement of additional resources.
According to Schreiber, “there is a significant lack of investment in modern surveillance technology, such as drones, high-definition cameras with facial recognition, and artificial intelligence capabilities across all 71 ports of entry. The current situation, with multiple non-interfacing legacy networks inherited from different departments, severely hampers information sharing and operational efficiency.”
He said many of the port of entry facilities are in an unsatisfactory state and require significant funding for repair and maintenance to meet international standards.
These resource constraints result in a number of negative impacts, including porous borders vulnerable to illegal immigration, human trafficking, smuggling of illicit goods (like firearms, contraband, and cigarettes), and a heightened risk to national security and the economy.
Replying to another question by Ngobeni, Schreiber said the funding shortfall has been, and continues to be, a significant barrier to the BMA’s ability to effectively fulfil its mandate. “While some successes have been achieved, adequate funding would enable the entity to invest in critical areas such as human resources, tools of trade, and ICT resources that are urgently needed to ensure sustainable service delivery.”
The Minister explained that obsolete ICT infrastructure and unreliable network connections at the Ports of Entry poses a serious risk to national security, as it compromises the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of systems that support border management, surveillance, data protection, and communication. “The current outdated technology is vulnerable to cyber threats, lacks compatibility with modern security protocols, and hinders real-time information sharing across border stakeholders.”
The absence of essential trade tools within the impairs efficient and secure processing. Without key equipment like scanners, inspection devices, and ICT systems, officials face challenges in accurately verifying and clearing shipments, resulting in delays and congestion.
This deficiency also hampers the ability to detect contraband, counterfeit goods, or security threats, increasing the likelihood of illegal activities going unnoticed. Additionally, the lack of proper tools diminishes the effectiveness of border control efforts, hampers operational efficiency, and undermines international trade protocols ultimately affecting national security and economic stability, Schreiber stated.
