Motsoaledi must open remaining closed border posts without further delay

30 June 2022

Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Adrian Roos MP.

The DA calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to open the remaining closed border posts without further delay.

When the DA questioned Minister Motsoaledi on why smaller border posts such as Stockpoort remain closed, he responded that Port Health is not there and therefore they cannot implement Covid-19 protocols.

However, a full week after the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, announced that all Covid restrictions have been removed, including those regarding people entering the country, South Africa’s smaller border posts remain closed, with devastating economic effects on local communities.

The DA Shadow Minister of Health, Michele Clarke, questioned the Department of Health on where these Port Health officials are and when they will return to their posts, but the Health Department have been unable to provide a simple explanation for several weeks.

Who is in charge of our border posts? The Border Management Authority? Home Affairs? The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS)? Port Health?

And where are the Immigration and Port Health officials that are supposed to be working at these border posts, while businesses around border posts such as Stockpoort have closed their doors, the Bureau de change retrenched all their employees, and vegetable tunnels closed due to no sales across the border?

Our borders operate in a leadership vacuum, and it is the citizens of South Africa who, as usual, take the punishment.

Minister Motsoaledi claims we need a whole new immigration regime, but what we really need is competent officials at their posts doing their jobs.

Issued by Adrian Roos, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, 30 June 2022