Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) sees the near-doubling in capacity of Border Management Authority (BMA) immigration officials at Cape Town International Airport as a shining example of a DA-government partnership. This initiative will ensure international visitors will experience a much smoother arrival experience, and, additionally, it will lead to a boost in job creation in the province.
The initiative was officially launched yesterday by DA representatives in national, provincial, and local government, namely: Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
A total of 48 assistant port control officers will be seconded by the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial Government respectively to nearly double the processing capacity at Cape Town International Airport – where issues of slow border processing have been affecting tourist and business travel experiences for too long.
This intervention by the DA’s Dr Leon Schreiber, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and Alan Winde will see immigration processing capacity at Cape Town airport rise from 66 people to 114 people. The BMA is responsible for ensuring efficient traveler processing and to prevent cross-border criminality, combating transnational crime such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal mining.
Assistant Port Control Officers will also perform customs processing. These trained personnel will also be able to offer various safety functions such as search, seizure, arrest, and detention where illegal activity is detected.
Cape Town has already seen a strong recovery in tourism and is performing well, with some indicators already back at or exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Cape Town remains recognized as a top destination, winning awards as the best city in the world for travelers.
A smoother, faster experience at the airport will further boost the tourism experience.
Despite severe resource constraints and a budget shortfall of R4.3 billion, the BMA continues to make meaningful strides in improving border management. The additional intergovernmental support has therefore provided a much-needed boost to the ever-groundbreaking entity.
This is also an example of working together to solve a problem by government cooperation across different spheres of government. The DA governments at all three spheres are demonstrating a great example of leaders working together to resolve long-standing challenges for the benefit of all.
Regards
Willie Aucamp MP
DA National Spokesperson