Commissioner Michael Masiapato: 2026 Easter season operational report

Deputy Commissioner for Operations: Major General (rtd.) David Chilembe
Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Assistant Commissioners present,
The entire border management community,
Members of the media, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning,

The Easter period remains one of the most operationally demanding period within the border management calendar, requiring heightened vigilance, seamless coordination and co-operation among stakeholders, and the agile deployment of additional resources to balance border security imperatives and the facilitation of the movement of people and goods within our 71 ports of entry and the border law enforcement areas. Compared to the December and January festive period, Easter’s convergence into one weekend presents a complex festive period requiring sophisticated planning and agile implementation matrix.

Two weeks ago, we gathered here to outline the 2026 Easter operational plan for the Border Management Authority. Today , we reconvene to receive the report on the implementation of that operational plan. This report serves multiple purposes; it provides a consolidated account on the implemented operational context, the execution dynamics and the observed outcomes of the operations. Additionally, it supports institutional learning by identifying key trends, highlighting operational strengths and pinpointing areas requiring improvement. Importantly, the insights derived from this report will inform the future planning for such peak-periods, enhance stakeholder coordination and cooperation, whilst strengthening the Authority’s overall strategies for the successful implementation of effective, high-impact border movement cycles.

The 2026 Easter operation was executed for a period of 10 days commencing on Tuesday, the 31st of March 2026 and ending on Thursday the 09th of April 2026. This year’s operation aligns with the previous years’ operation in that it maintains a consistent 10 day timeframe to enable reliable and sound comparative analysis on statistical trends. Consistent with established norm, the 2026 Easter Operation was implemented as a direct continuation of the December 2025 and January 2026 Festive Season Operations., This transition ensured continuity in operational command and control, while reinforcing long term operational efficiency beyond periods of heightened movement.

The implementation of this plan was overseen by members of the Inter-Ministerial Consultative Committee (IMCC) on Border Management chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, the members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs under the Chair-ship of the Honourable Mosa Chabane, the Border Technical Committee (BTC) of Directors’ General and Heads of Entities, the Natjoints and Provjoints as well as other critical structures in the broader border management ecosystem.

At land ports of entry, operations were executed jointly with our immediate neighbouring countries through the Bilateral Joint Technical Committees ensuring integrated and coordinated inter-jurisdictional cross border management.

Ladies and Gentlemen, without any further ado/delay. allow me to present the report on the implementation of the 2026 Easter Operational plan .

Statistics on the movement of persons

Over the 10 days of the 2026 Easter period, a total of about 1 278 344 travellers were recorded across our 71 ports of entry. This represent a 21% increase when compared to the 2025 Easter period, during which approximately 1 057 063 travellers were recorded. This upward trend highlights the growing demand for cross-border travel during this period, as period travel for various reasons such as religious observances, holidays and or family gatherings.

Of the 1 278 344 travellers recorded during the period, OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) facilitated the highest volumes of travellers at 234 389, a 6% increase when compared to the 220 339 traveller movements recorded in 2025 Easter. Lebombo Port of Entry, bordering Mozambique facilitated approximately 195 293 travellers, reflecting a 21% increase from the 161 457 traveller movement recorded in 2025. Beit Bridge port of entry linking South Africa to Zimbabwe ranked as the third busiest port, facilitated about 148 451 travellers compared to 122 228 in 2025. This also represented a 21% increase in the traveller movement.. Notably, Ficksburg port of entry to Lesotho, recorded a significant surge, with about 113 942 travellers compared to 72 522 travellers in the 2025 Easter representing a 57% increase. Similarly, Maseru Bridge port of entry to Lesotho recorded a 31% increase recording 113 581 movements compared to 86 547 in the 2025 Easter period.

Cape Town International Airport (CTIA), also recorded growth, registering a 10% increase by facilitating 94 023 traveller movements, up from 85 631 facilitated during 2025 Easter period.

In facilitating the above-mentioned movements, a total of 31 588 light vehicles were processed and thoroughly searched as part of the routine and risk-based inspections.

About 8 937 commercial trucks underwent intensive inspections to mitigate the risk of smuggling and the movement of illicit goods. A total of1 286 buses were processed with passengers accordingly screened . Furthermore,10 523 taxis and 593 informal transport operators, commonly known as Malaishas were inspected to ensure full compliance with cross-border movement protocols. In support of load compliance,, about 1 478 trucks were subjected to weighbridge inspections to verify load compliance and detect any potential smuggling activities.

Within the aviation modality, 61 flights were cleared by the BMA port Heath officials. In the maritime space, 76 vessels were officially cleared, of which 10 were processed through the off-port limit mechanism whereby crew changes were facilitated whilst the vessel is stationed at deep sea without having to dock at the port.

It is also worth mentioning that during this Easter period, a total of 2 509 fines were issued by various law enforcement entities operating within the the border law enforcement areas, amounting to a combine value of R1 544 071.Of the 2 509 fines issued, 111 were issued by the BMA officials for non-compliance to the immigration act and this amounted to about R138 000.00. This represents a 192% increase of the imposed fines compared to the 38 fines issued in the 2025 Easter period. This is a demonstration of the BMA’s intensified efforts to enforce compliance to the provisions of the immigration act. The rest of the other fines were imposed by various other stakeholders operating within the border law enforcement area, such as SARS-Customs, various traffic authorities, Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), and the SAPS.

Interceptions of illegal movements of persons

Over the 10-day Easter period, a total of 4 763 travellers were intercepted and apprehended while attempting to either enter or exit South Africa illegally. Out of the 4 763 intercepted travellers, about 3 170 were undocumented persons, 998 were undesirables and 595 were found to be inadmissible to the country for various reasons, such as possession of fraudulent visas or just failure to produce yellow fever certificate or in possession of invalid travel documents.

All travellers intercepted without documents were fingerprinted, declared undesirable for five years and got deported to their respective countries in accordance with the immigration Act. As in the previous periods, the majority of e intercepted individuals were Basotho nationals, followed by Mozambicans, Zimbabweans, Swati nationals, Malawians and Ethiopians. Notably, the total number of interceptions reflects a decrease when compared to the 6 253 recorded during the 2025 Easter period. This represents a reduction of approximately 24% and can be attributed to the deterrent effect of enhanced enforcement measures, including the deployment of drones, the continued arresting of facilitators, the destruction of makeshift boats and the removal of the anchors and erstwhile ropes used to facilitate illegal crossings/migration particularly along the Limpopo and Caledon rivers. Of the total number of the 5 intercepted persons, there were 29 minors of which 17 were at Lebombo and 12 were at Beit Bridge. The minors were handed over to the Department of Social Development for taking them to a place of safety, engage their counter parts in adjacent activity and start the process to re-uniting them with their families.

In this Easter period, a total of about 138 facilitators were arrested representing a 22% increase compared to the 113 arrested during the 2025 Easter period. These facilitators were not deported but were handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and were charged with aiding and abetting in accordance with section 49(2) of the Immigration Act. The increase in the numbers of arrested facilitators can be attributed to the full-time deployment of drones and other technologies, including body worn cameras. Furthermore, the deployment of Push-To-Talk (PTT) communication technology enhanced operational efficiency by enabling real time tracking, tracing and interception of illegal movements serving as a significant force multiplier. In addition, about 42 joint law enforcement operations, including roadblocks were conducted in collaboration with other law enforcement authorities within the border law enforcement areas. These operations focused on screening vehicles and strengthening enforcement along the key corridors. Moreover, over 159 hotpot areas were patrolled using high tech vehicles, while 3 019-foot patrols were conducted to enhance visibility and operational coverage.

Following from these efforts, during the easter periods, the Border Guards intercepted 4 motor vehicles which were attempted to be smuggled out of the country. These vehicles were handed over to the SAPS Detective Services for further processing. Additionally, at Jeppes Reef and OR Tambo International Airport Ports of entry, approximately 557 kg of cannabis and 48 kg of narcotics were intercepted.

On port health specialised function

Given the various health risks, our port health specialists remained on high alert across all ports of entry, implementing heightened health screening measures to prevent the potential spread of infectious diseases into South Africa. In this regard, a total of 72 717 travellers were screened, and 259 flights were disinfected to limit the cross-border transmission of infectious vectors and to eliminate disease carrying insects, particularly on flights arriving from high-risk regions. Furthermore, 53 mortal remains were processed by BMA Port Health teams through our ports of entry with Beitbridge accounting for the majority, processing approximately 40 cases of mortal remains departing South Africa to other parts of the continent.

On Agricultural and Environmental bio-security specialised function

Our biosecurity teams comprising K9 Units, inspectors, animal health Technicians and Veterinarians, enforced compliance within terminals and the border law enforcement area along the borderline. More than 20 000 kg of non-compliant regulated agricultural products valued at approximately R 4 759 502 were confiscated and destroyed at various ports of entry. These include animal products, plant products and a number of prohibited food items such as mangoes, and bananas and other assorted fruits. The most intercepted consignments during this Easter period were recorded at Cape Town Harbour which are still under detention for further processing.. The consignments compromised of foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages such as whisky.

On Counter-corruption matters

BMA maintains a zero tolerance stance on corruption and understands that eliminating any form of corrupt activity at our Port of Entry requires collaboration with various stakeholders. Further, we continue to strengthen partnerships with relevant law enforcement agencies, oversight bodies, and border management stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and effective response to corruption risks. We.. urge members of the public to assist us in reporting suspicious activities, smuggling and corruption by calling the BMA toll-free number 0800 122 9 019 or by reporting through the official BMA website at www.bma.gov.za

The BMA will continue to build on the successes of the 2026 Easter operation as we prepare for the upcoming peak periods. The lessons learned, intelligence gathered, and partnerships strengthened during this deployment will directly inform our long-term strategic posture and enhance future operational effectiveness.

We extend a special word of appreciation to our private sector partners who played a critical role in supporting the implementation of the Easter Operational plan, namely DCD Protected Mobility, Paramount Group, Aselsan South Africa, and Unipro Protective Wear. These partnerships align with our commitment to technology driven border management as they supported the deployment of integrated suite of advanced surveillance, mobility and protective technologies during the 2026 Easter period. In the same spirit we acknowledge , Sanlam/Assupol for their support in promoting the health and wellbeing of the officials operating within the border environment.

Our appreciation also goes to our industry partners for their continues support, being South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) and the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE). In the Aviation modality, we further appreciate the continued support from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the Provincial Government of Western Cape for the additional resources deployed at ORTIA and CTIA respectively to assist with immigration services/functions. Further, appreciations go to the Department of Social Development and the Department of Tourism for their support.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as, I draw to conclusion; As we celebrate the third anniversary of the establishment of the BMA, allow me to commend the law enforcement officials who played a critical role in shaping the work of this Authority. I also extend a special gratitude to all BMA officials, including our frontline Border Guards, immigration officers, port health practitioners, environmental and Agricultural biosecurity specialist as well as all supporting personnel working behind the scenes for their tireless efforts, professionalism and unwavering commitment to our national mandate.

The successful execution of the Easter operations stands as clear evidence of a maturing, integrated border management capability, one that is responsive, coordinated, and firmly committed to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty. The BMA’s performance reflects not only operational excellence on the ground, but also the resolve of a capable institution that continues to evolve, adapt and deliver tangible results for the people of South Africa.

Let us continue to secure our borders for development.

I thank you.

Enquiries:
Deputy Assistant Commissioner: Communications and Marketing
Mmemme Mogotsi
Cell: 072 856 4288
E-mail: mmemme.mogotsi@bma.gov.za

#GovZAUpdates