SAPS gets tough on overborder vehicle smuggling

The South African Police
Service (SAPS) has started
rigorously enforcing
legislation requiring all
drivers of vehicles with
South African-registered
plates to carry certified
documents proving
ownership when leaving
the country’s
borders.
With
many drivers
being caught
off-guard
– and some
confusion
over whether
these
regulations
are new or not
– the freight
industry
has been
warned to be
prepared and ensure they
have the right documents in
their vehicles.
Mike Fitzmaurice of the
Federation of East and
Southern African Road
Transport Associations
(Fesarta) told FTW it was
essential that operators
had their houses in order
and ensured drivers were in
possession of all the correct
paperwork or they would
face the risk of not being
allowed to cross the border.
A range of documents is
needed for the movement of
freight across the country’s
borders
including
those proving
vehicle
ownership.
“The
system,
however, has
been slack
over the past
few years and
more often
than not these
documents
were not
requested
when crossing border posts.
It has, however, now become
mandatory and it would
seem officials are following
through and requesting the
documentation.”
This was supported
by a spokesman for the
Automobile Association
(AA) who said the
regulations had always been
a requirement, but that they
had seldom been enforced.
“This has changed
and police at the border
posts are now very strict
about these documents.
This is also applicable at
all the border posts and
drivers must be prepared
and ensure they have the
documents on hand,” he
advised.
All of the documents
required needed to be
certified and signed by a
commissioner of oaths, he
said.
Documentation must
include a copy of the vehicle
registration/vehicle licence
papers and a letter from the
bank giving authorisation
to take the vehicle across
the border – also indicating
the dates of travel. If the
driver of the vehicle is not
the owner of the vehicle, an
affidavit from the police
giving authorisation from
the financial institution or
owner is required to take
the vehicle abroad.
Gavin
Kelly,
spokesman
for the Road
Freight
Association,
told FTW
the regulations
were aimed at stopping
vehicle theft. “They are not
primarily aimed at freight
vehicles,” he said. “It is a
well-known fact that vehicle
hijacking is a scourge and
large numbers of vehicles
are sold into Africa.”
He said the RFA
welcomed the enforcement
of the legislation and was in
favour of it as it protected
operators’ assets.
But, said Kelly, there
was not a lot of clarity
or communication
forthcoming around the
sudden enforcement of these
regulations
which would
inevitably mean that
vehicles would be arriving at
borders without the necessary
documentation.
He advised all freight
operators to again familiarise
themselves with the necessary
requirements and to ensure
drivers were in possession
of these documents prior to
arriving at border posts.
It is uncertain why SAPS
has to date not enforced
the regulations although
it would appear that they
have been applied randomly
at times, during specific
crime-prevention operations
and when drivers appeared
suspicious.
INSERT & CAPTION
The system has
been slack over the
past few years but
officials are now
following through.
– Mike Fitzmaurice