JOHANNESBURG – The Border Management Authority (BMA) will be conducting regular lifestyle audits on its guards to curb corruption around the ports of entry.
BMA is a new government entity established in April this year with the mandate of managing and securing all of the country’s ports of entries.
The entity currently has a staff compliment of about 2,100, with only 221 that are armed law enforcement officers.
BMA commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato told a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday that corruption is rife at the country’s borders.
READ: Plans on strengthening South Africa’s 72 ports of entry
He said there are many instances where border guards are paid to look away or assist in illegally trafficking people or goods into South Africa.
Masiapato says many of the officers who have been caught have been fired.
The authority is currently training 400 border guards to supplement its law enforcement capacity.