It would cost R9 million to conduct lifestyle audits of about 100 top officials to help the Border Management Authority (BMA) root out corruption within its ranks, commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato told a news conference over the weekend.
But the BMA cannot afford to pay the amount quoted for lifestyle audits obtained by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
He said that although it was intended to do the audits in the current financial year, the BMA didn’t have the budgetary means to proceed with SIU investigations of its officials.
Touching on certain milestones of the relatively nascent authority, Masiapato said corruption within its ranks was a problem.
With a current budget of R1.7bn, the Home Affairs-administered authority couldn’t deliver on its mandate, Masiapato said, stressing that the BMA was only meeting about 20% of its capacity.
He said the authority should really have about 11 200 personnel but had to make do with 2 500.
It was also reported that the authority continued to advocate for the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) and expanded digital surveillance of personnel activities at South Africa’s land border posts.
Masiapato said technology would assist in the BMA’s efforts to rid itself of corrupt employees.
In April, the authority arrested two of its own as well as five undocumented foreign nationals and two suspected facilitators during an anti-corruption operation at Beitbridge.
The arrests came after the BMA announced extensive digital capacity improvements ahead of the Easter weekend.
Acting commissioner Jane Thupana said at the time the operation reflected the BMA’s firm stance against corruption within its ranks.
Because of the success of the use of digital means, he said the operation had strengthened the BMA’s resolve to roll out BWCs across all ports of entry.
