Pretoria - State Security Minister David Mahlobo says more emphasis will be placed on effective control and management of South Africa’s border security.
“Our concerns over crimes such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, rhino poaching, identity and travel document fraud can be linked to the cross-border movement of people and goods.
“We will strengthen our interventions through close coordination of efforts with stakeholders in the aviation, maritime and land border environments,” he said when delivering his departmental Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday.
Rooting out corruption
He said confronting and rooting out corruption remains government’s central objective, especially considering the negative impact it has on the economy and its potential to erode the authority of the State.
With regard to implementing their mandate of rooting out corruption, the minister said the nation will witness his department speed up measures to:
- Implement the National Vetting Strategy across all spheres of government and state owned entities;
- Improve perceptions of South Africa, and the country’s international standing in relation to corruption, and
- Curb violent protest action that threatens both domestic stability and the authority of the State.
He said people should exercise their right to protest within the ambits of the law.
“We will continue with all our partners in finding lasting solutions to curb violent industrial action and violence within the transport sector, with the primary focus of stabilisation of the mining and transport sectors to the benefit of all parties concerned.
“We will continue to deal with the phenomenon of illicit mining, which in itself is a complex, multi-faceted challenge.
“We will continue finding lasting solutions to prevent and mitigate violence directed against foreign nationals through existing structures.
“We will deal decisively with organised crime such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, poaching and gangsterism that continues to display increasing sophistication and diversification through operations,” he said.
The minister singled out the spill-over effect on growth in the illicit economy that continues to pose a threat to South Africa and the well-being of all South Africans.
However, he said good progress has been registered in areas such as combatting trade in illicit tobacco and cigarettes.
“Global illicit financial flows are increasing exponentially, with research indicating that the total amount of revenue lost to the African continent annually is estimated at being equal to five times the amount of aid flowing into Africa annually.
“To address the issue of the illicit economy comprehensively and in a coordinated fashion, we will develop a National Strategy on the Illicit Economy and improve our capacity on economic intelligence,” the minister said.
Securing cyber space
Minister Mahlobo said the current administration has prioritised the issue of securing the country’s cyber space. At a national level, reports indicate that cybercrime is costing the country approximately R1 billion per annum.
“We plan to create a coherent and seamless information regulatory framework, which is aligned to national and international standards. Through this approach, all critical domains of information will be given necessary attention,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za
