Political parties have thrown their weight for the Border Management Authority (BMA) to get more funding in order to carry out its mandate.

The entity made a case before the parliamentary Committees on Appropriations about its underfunding since its establishment in 2023.

Home Affairs portfolio committee chairperson, Mosa Chabane, said they have been grappling with the underfunding of the BMA over the last three financial years.

“We have grappled with calls for more funding given the task the BMA has been given and that it has to respond to the challenges that South Africans and all of us MPs have been raising around porous borders,” he said.

Chabane said the entity was saddled with capacity issues in terms of technology and the high vacancy rate.

Home Affairs deputy minister, Njabulo Nzuza, said they have prepared business case for more funding to relevant platforms but were struggling with issues of funding.

He said the funding to the BMA would yield returns.

“If we fund the BMA sufficiently and have control of the borders that will mean higher returns for SARS in terms of revenue collection and will result in economic growth. It is not just a plea for money, but a plea for resources to turn the situation around,” Nzuza said.

BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato painted a picture of BMA in dire need for financial injection if it was to carry out its mandate.

Masiapato said their mandate was to deal with border law enforcement and deal with movement of goods and persons.

He said there were issues around staffing and financing.

“What is missing is the conventional law enforcement done by SAPS border police.”

Masiapato explained that they required a staff complement of 4000 and R2.2 billion to man the borderline but they have only 600 border guards.

He said the request for adequate funding has not yielded the result as they received far less than they requested.

Masiapato also said they had required R2.9 billion but were promised R250 million which turned out to be for the maintenance of infrastructure when it was allocated.

 “We remain grossly underfunded.”

He added that although they had asked for R500m from the Criminal Asset Recovery Account, they were allocated R150m for tools of trade.

The entity has made another request for R4.3 billion in additional resources and are waiting for a response.

Masiapato told the MPs that their approved structure provided for 11 000 posts but only 2600 were filled.

“We say despite people who came from departments, we need some investment to build the baseline for staff,” he said, adding that they needed R500m at least.

He told of staff shortages in ICT, finance, specialist in agriculture and health posts.

“We have presence in 36 ports of entry in terms of health officials,” he said.

Masiapato also said in terms of law people entering the 71 ports of entry in the country, they should be assessed and screened for diseases.

“People enter without being assessed.”

He told the MPs that the BMA has R4.3 billion overdraft.

Parties from across the political divide pledged their support to increased funding of the BMA.

Chairperson of the Appropriations Standing Committee, Mmusi Maimane, said they were guided by the Money Bills and that they will look at the budget of the Home affairs departments and other departments.

He stated that any amendment they make to the budget was to be made on the basis of the fiscal framework that was tabled.

Maimane also said since the budget for 2025/26 were due for approval next, the BMA case would be considered in the next Medium Term Expenditure Framework to be tabled later this year.

“The programmes of the BMA can’t be understated,” he said, adding that things the BMA required adequate funding.

He also said they will request the Parliamentary Budget Office to make a presentation and the National Treasury would be engaged on the matter.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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