Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs has promised the "smooth movement" of all travellers entering and leaving the country this festive season.
It has already processed the entry of 919 642 people into the country from 1 to 9 December - an increase of 104 672 people or 13 percent from the same period last year.
In anticipation of the increased movement through land, air and sea ports of entry, the department on Monday implemented a comprehensive plan to ensure minimal hassles when it comes to movement in and out of the country, the department's Director General Mkuseli Apleni said on Friday.
The plan is based on the successful implementation of the department's new Movement Control System (MCS), which was used with much success during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The department has also deployed a further 198 officials at six key land ports of entry - Beit Bridge, Lebombo, Ficksburg, Maseru, Oshoek and Kopfontein - to deal with the higher-than-expected volumes.
"As a consequence of 24 hour monitoring through its operations centre, the department will be in a position to rotate this capacity at short notice to ports of entry with high volumes," Apleni added.
Apart from ensuring the smooth movement of travellers, the MCS will also help the department and other government agencies prevent "undesirable elements" from entering the country, he said.
The department has also optimised its cooperation with the South African Revenue Service, the Department of Health, the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, intelligence and the Border Control Coordinating Committee as part of its preparation for the festive season.
These departments and agencies will be coordinating operations throughout the festive season, Apleni said.
"We are confident that all the required measures are in place to ensure the safe and smooth movement of travellers into and out of the country," he added.
