Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says a total of 6 585 617 traveller movements across all the country’s ports of entry were recorded during the festive season.
At that time, the Department of Home Affairs had deployed 404 additional staff from 03 December 2019 to 08 January 2020 to support smooth facilitation of movement of people and goods.
Addressing the media in Cape Town, Motsoaledi said the recorded movements were marginally lower when compared to the 6 645 630 traveller movements cleared in the 2018/19 festive period.
From 1 December 2019 to 13 January 2020, a total of 10 362 travellers were refused movement during arrival or departure.
Motsoaledi explained that the main reasons for refused movements during arrival and departure include travellers on risk engines, expired passports, insufficient documentation and fraudulent documentation.
Top 10 ports of entry accounting for 9 344 refusals were: Beit Bridge (with Zimbabwe with 2 433 refusals); Lebombo (with Mozambique with 2 168); Maseru Bridge (with Lesotho with 1 524); Ficksburg (with Lesotho with 1 325); OR Tambo (787); Oshoek (with Swaziland with 380); Groblersbruge (with Botswana with 212); Van Rooyens Gate (with Lesotho with 208); Caledonspoort (with Lesotho with 180) and Tele Bridge (with Lesotho with 127).
During the same period, a total number of travellers who were declared undesirable due to over staying the period permitted on their visa was 18 127.
The highest daily movements recorded during the festive period were the following border posts:
- Beit Bridge with 35 750 on 05 January 2020;
- OR Tambo International Airport with 33 028 on 3 January 2020;
- Lebombo with 25 901 both on 5 January 2020;
- Ficksburg with 20 728 movements, on 23 December 2019,;
- Maseru Bridge with 19 794 movements recorded on 21 December 2019; and
- Cape Town International Airport with 11 649 on 3 January 2020.
Top nationalities cleared at the ports of entry over the festive period were from Zimbabwe (594 350), Lesotho (570 684), Mozambique (293 426), Eswatini (226 662), Botswana (191 025), United Kingdom (83 772), United States of America (50 985), Germany (52 534), Namibia (36 116) and Malawi with 30 664.
During the festive season, the department extended operation hours which allowed 249 930 citizens to visit the department’s offices and receive services.
Applications for smart ID cards and passports were 145 393 against 82 383 in the same period last year, a 57% increase.
During the extended period, Home Affairs officials handed over 55 749 smart ID cards to citizens.
Since the inception of the smart ID card, in 2013, there are close to 400 000 uncollected IDs. – SAnews.gov.za
