Major border upgrade plan announced
Key crossings like Beitbridge Border Post and Lebombo Border Post will be modernised to boost trade and security.
South Africa is set for a major overhaul of its busiest land border posts.
Authorities have announced a R12.5 billion investment in infrastructure and technology.
The project, described as the largest of its kind, will see six key ports of entry rebuilt through a public-private partnership.
The Lebombo, Beitbridge, Oshoek, Maseru Bridge, Kopfontein and Ficksburg border posts collectively handle around 80 per cent of all cross-border trade and passenger movement through South Africa’s land borders.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says outdated infrastructure and fragmented systems have placed these high-volume corridors under strain.
Construction is expected to begin later this year or early next year for some ports, with a phased rollout over two to three years.
The Border Management Authority's Michael Masiapato explains how the public-private partnership will work.
“There is not going to be any government money that is going to be used in the construction in the redesigning of this particular port. These particular successful bids will be raising money through the commercial banks. The government will only repay them through a unitary payment model for a period that is going to be for 25 years.
“We are actually implementing and applying a model that is called build, operate, transfer. This public partnership model is seen as a critical strategy to make sure that we shine any opportunities for any corrupt tendencies.”
Last week, A R85 million border wall project along the KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique border was set aside after a court found major flaws in the tender process.
The Special Tribunal says the contract was tainted by irregularities and non-compliance with procurement rules.
The Special Tribunal heard that just over 5 kilometres of the planned 8-kilometre concrete barrier was completed despite the company, ISF Shula Joint Venture, getting the full amount for the job.
The wall was commissioned by the Department of Transport in KZN.
It was intended to strengthen border security and curb the movement of stolen and hijacked vehicles between South Africa and Mozambique.
The SIU says the ruling by the Tribunal confirms that the company failed to deliver on the key public infrastructure project.
Authorities say the incomplete structure left sections of the border exposed, weakening efforts to address cross-border crime.
The department appointed another firm to complete the wall at an additional cost of R62 million.
Investigators also found that compliance standards were not met, including the use of invalid documentation during the bidding process.
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
We are also on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)
MORE ON ECR:
