The Department of Home Affairs has announced the commencement of South Africa’s new border management laws, which take effect this week.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) Act has taken effect from Monday, 15 August, with most sections commencing, according to Home Affairs minister, Aaron Motsoaledi.
The BMA Act’s purpose is to establish and empower the Border Management Authority to achieve integrated border law enforcement within the border law enforcement area and at ports of entry in South Africa and to enable cooperation on and co-ordination of border management matters in general.
According to Motsoaledi, the commissioner of the BMA has the same authority as the commissioner of police, but the role is exclusively focused on the country’s borders.
