Cops admit failure on borders
Control by police has failed
THE South African Police Service has failed in its efforts to solve problems concerning border control and border security.
Top police officials told parliament ’ s portfolio committee on police yesterday that the formation of an all-encompassing border management agency had still not happened.
This is despite President Jacob Zuma announcing its formation in his state of the nation address after the 2009 election.
It also seems unclear whether the agency will ever get off the ground because it is uncertain how it will fit into the system of government (as an agency, a ministry or a department) and into the constitution.
This is because it is envisioned that it will have policing duties, a duty which the constitution states lies with the SAPS.
“Coordination mechanisms have proved incapable of addressing the systemic and structural management problems affecting effective border management and border security in the country,” the submission by the police states.
“Various national intelligence estimates have pointed to significant weaknesses, threats and challenges in the border environment in SA.”
Top police officials were frank in admitting that many problems persist and are likely to persist, including that responsibility for the agency has been passed around between different government departments (it currently resides with Home Affairs).
They also submitted that the way in which payment is calculated for border duty differs hugely between different departments, causing staff unhappiness.
Police top brass also said there had been interdepartmental friction, such as when police wanted to transfer their border vehicles to the Department of Defence, but the defence force did not want it.
Some progress has been made, mostly with setting up inter-governmental committees and working on a provisional budget. The biggest problem with activating the agency remains the nature of border management.
The police submission pointed out disparate specialities like immigration control, customs, border safeguarding and surveillance, inspection of plants and plant products, border policing, inspection of animals and animal foodstuffs, and human health inspection.