President Cyril Ramaphosa Initiates SA's Border Management Authority

It has been officially announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa will launch the Border Management Authority (BMA) on Thursday in Musina, Limpopo. This hallmark event presents the government's commitment to ensure the security of the nation's permeable boundaries.

The Border Management Authority, a project first proposed by the Department of Home Affairs back in August 2015, has now taken shape and is ready to operate. Initially following its inception, the BMA Bill received 289 submissions from 34 organizations and individuals, sparking a thorough public discourse on its potential implications.

Following extensive deliberations with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the BMA Bill moved forward, garnering cabinet approval for submission to Parliament in September 2015. It commenced its parliamentary journey in 2016 and was adopted by the National Assembly in 2017 for submission to the National Council of Provinces.

March 2020 saw the BMA Bill receiving Parliament's nod, formalizing the Authority's establishment as a Schedule 3 (A) public entity in April 2021. South Africa's Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, responded swiftly by deploying 200 border guards and providing vehicles for efficient patrolling of the nation's borders.

Post the launch, President Ramaphosa, accompanied by Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, will participate in official discussions and conduct a guided tour of the Beitbridge border, assisted by members of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on the BMA.