Komatipoort – Thousands of travellers using the Lebombo Border Post to and from Mozambique over the festive period were affected as South African authorities introduced an emergency manual processing system to manage severe congestion at the port.
The Border Management Authority implemented the measure at Lebombo after more than 30 000 travellers were processed on Christmas Eve alone, creating long queues and delays for passengers travelling between South Africa and Mozambique, a key route also used by many from the Kingdom of Eswatini heading to coastal destinations.
The decision followed consultations between South African border officials and Mozambique’s Interior Minister Paulo Chachine, who visited the border post to assess the situation on the ground as pressure mounted during peak holiday travel.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said border guards had been redeployed from corridor duties to assist with manual processing alongside the existing Enhanced Movement Control System. He explained that the temporary arrangement was intended to speed up the movement of travellers without shutting down border operations.
Manual processing is being applied only to South African and Mozambican nationals, many of whom include travellers from Eswatini transiting through South Africa en route to Mozambique. Other nationalities continue to be processed through the electronic system to ensure standard security checks remain in place.
Masiapato said passports of those processed manually are stamped, with biographic details captured and later uploaded into the system for record keeping and verification. Foreign nationals, including travellers from Malawi and European countries, are still being processed through the EMCS and screened against international criminal databases.
Additional checks will be conducted during the return period from 1 January to 15 January 2025 to verify details of those processed manually, as part of continued security monitoring.
Addressing concerns about safety, Masiapato said manual processing is a recognised contingency measure used when electronic systems are under strain or unavailable. He noted that information gathered is reviewed retrospectively and shared with Mozambican police if any irregularities are detected.
Priority under the manual system is being given to vulnerable groups such as women and children, while electronic processing continues in parallel for other travellers.
Staff shortages remain a challenge at Lebombo, with Masiapato revealing that the BMA is operating at only 25 percent staffing capacity. Immigration officers are in short supply, prompting the redeployment of personnel to man the 30 EMCS processing stations and support the manual system. Provincial police have also been requested to bolster security along the border corridor.
Cargo movement has continued despite the congestion, a decision that has implications for regional trade, including goods destined for or passing near Eswatini. About 800 trucks were processed on Christmas Eve, with some drivers waiting up to two days at the Kilometre 7 bypass. Authorities said halting cargo traffic entirely would disrupt trade and prevent drivers from completing deliveries before the holidays.
Illegal crossings along mountain routes near Lebombo remain a concern for both South Africa and Mozambique. Chachine said unauthorised crossings undermine the rule of law and pose security risks, adding that both governments are working to encourage travellers to use official border points and comply with immigration regulations.
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