Pretoria – Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says operating hours at selected ports of entry will be extended to accommodate the increased traveller volumes over the Easter holiday.
The department has deployed 127 additional staff members to assist at the ports of entry.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Wednesday, Minister Gigaba said the department is ready to process all the travellers coming in and out of the country.
“We are ready … with the highest level of professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness to process all travellers coming in and out of South Africa,” he said.
Key stakeholders at various ports of entry as well as countries sharing borders with South Africa have been engaged and have agreed on the dates to effect the extended operational hours.
“We have encouraged people to travel gradually over the entire period rather than on a single day for road safety reasons,” said Minister Gigaba.
The top five nationalities recorded as entering and departing South Africa were from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique and the United Kingdom.
From 28 March to 6 April, operational hours at the following ports of entry will be as such:
Mpumalanga: Lebombo - 24 hours; Mananga – 7am to 10pm; Jeppes Reef – 6am to 10pm; Oshoek - 24 hours, Mahamba – 7am to 12 midnight
Eastern Cape: Qacha’s Nek – 6am to 10pm
KwaZulu-Natal: Kosi Bay – 6am to 6pm
Free State: Van Rooyenhek – 6am to 12 midnight
During last year’s Easter weekend (17 to 22 April 2014), Immigration Services processed a total of 754 616 travellers at South Africa’s national ports of entry, land sea and airports. The figures comprised 535 960 foreigners and 218 000 South Africans.
Minister Gigaba said the highest volume of travellers at ports of entry for the 2014 Easter period were at Oliver Tambo International Airport, Beit Bridge, Maseru Bridge, Lebombo, Ficksburg, Oshoek and Groblers Bridge. – SAnews.gov.za
