GPW response to labour union concerns; BMA festive season operations (with Ministry)

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting. (His opening remarks were not captured due to technical issues with the live stream.)

He said that during the Sixth Administration, the Committee received anonymous complaints regarding the Government Printing Works (GPW), which it responded to by conducting successive oversight visits.

Due to the number of presentations scheduled during the meeting, the Committee will deliberate on and resolve its report regarding the thresholds at its next meeting.

After saying that, he asked if the Committee had received any apologies.

Mr Eddie Mathonsi (Committee Secretary) said apologies were received from Rev Kenneth Meshoe MP, who would not be attending the meeting, Ms Moleboheng Modise-Mpya MP and Sihle Ngubane MP, and the Minister of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), who would all arrive late to the meeting.

The Chairperson noted the apologies and invited the DHA Deputy Minister to make his opening remarks.

Presentation overview by the Deputy Minister

Mr Njabulo Nzuza (Deputy Minister of Home Affairs) said the department noted the Chairperson’s remarks and would await a directive and date for when he would appear next before the Committee to report on the matters he raised.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) would brief the Committee on the law enforcement operations conducted, in the main, during the 2024-2025 festive season. The presentation would highlight the milestones achieved, and illustrate the cooperation between the BMA and other law enforcement agencies. He thanked the Committee for its efforts to pass the Border Management Authority Act during the Sixth Administration, as the entity has made significant contributions to border security. In addition, the BMA’s efforts to combat the movement of illicit goods into the country have promoted legal trade into the Republic.

The Ministry was pleased by the National Treasury’s proposed funding to the BMA, which will further improve the entity’s internal capacity and procure additional technological materials.

Dr Michael Masiapato (Commissioner of the BMA) indicated that the BMA appeared before the Committee in early December to brief it on its action plan for patrolling the ports of entry into the country during the 2024-2025 festive season. The presentation would highlight how the operations unfolded.

Briefing on the Border Management Authority’s 2024-2025 Festive Season Operations: Insights and Outcomes

Mr Mkhabela Balene (Assistant Commissioner of the Border Management Authority) took the Committee through the presentation.

The BMA was established in 2023 to serve as a credible provider of a highly integrated, well-coordinated, and technology-driven border enforcement agency that contributes to national security. During the 2024/25 festive season, the BMA implemented an integrated multidisciplinary plan to ensure effective and efficient crime prevention, traffic management, and facilitation of the movement of persons and goods, manage the surge in border activity, and enhance security while facilitating smooth cross-border movement.

To achieve these objectives the BMA increased personnel deployment at high-traffic border posts to handle the increased volume of travellers, extended operating hours, utilised biometric scanners and surveillance drones, and collaborated closely with other law enforcement agencies like the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Services (SAPS), South African Revenue Services (SARS), and other immigration authorities.

During this period, the BMA facilitated the movement of 5 million travelers across the country’s 71 ports of entry, marking an increase of 51,680 travellers from the previous festive period. The BMA intercepted 58 394 individuals attempting illegal entry, more than double the previous year’s figure of 27 005. This increase was credited to enhanced surveillance, including through drone deployment. In addition, the BMA confiscated illegal cigarettes valued at R690 million, 19 vehicles, and arrested 322 individuals.

The BMA noted the massive influx of travellers, particularly at land border posts like Beibridge (Zimbabwe), Lebombo (Mozambique), and Maseru Bridge (Lesotho), which led to long queues and congestion. The entity also noted: a rise in the number of illegal crossings through porous borders, a rise in the use of fraudulent passports and identification documents (ID); an increase in the smuggling of contraband and goods; inefficiencies in the coordination between departments and law enforcement agencies; and the limitations brought about by ageing and poor infrastructure.

The BMA recommended further investment in digital infrastructure to streamline traveller processing, minimise system failures, continue collaboration between law enforcement agencies, and strengthen public-private partnerships to support border security initiatives.

(See Presentation)

Discussion

Despite its challenges, Ms M Modise-Mpya (ANC) noted the impact of the BMA since its inception. Having said that she posed a series of questions to the BMA around how it planned to deal with foreign nationals, documented or undocumented, who do not return to countries when they are required to; why the presentation made mention of road trafficking fines that generated R7 million and more; and whether it has conducted an assessment on the security measures that need to be put in place during the Group of 20 (G20) Summit, and if additional resources were required to assist with preparations.

During his Parliamentary question-and-answer session, the Minister indicated that the drones did not belong to the BMA and that the entity would have to procure its own fleet. As such, she asked what plan the entity had in place to procure its own fleet of drones for use, considering its limited resources.

Ms F Muthambi (ANC) was disappointed that the BMA submitted its presentation to the Committee late, as it gave Members insufficient time to go through it in detail. Nevertheless, she applauded the entity for its good work during the festive season and hoped such efforts would continue throughout the year.

While she was pleased that 332 individuals were arrested, she wondered about the status of those cases, whether the confiscated goods had been disposed of as said or recirculated for the benefit of the law enforcement agencies, how much was spent on utilising the drones, and what impact it had on the entity’s budget.

Mr T Mogale (EFF) commended the BMA for the good work it performed during its festive operations despite the limited resources at its disposal. He argued that it was unfair to expect that the BMA would be able to deal with all challenges at the ports of entry when it currently has 44 patrol vehicles, 28 motorbikes, 127 pistols, and is procuring 10 drones. The EFF, he said, advocates for a strong, fully functional, and well-resourced BMA.

The current approach of spending millions – nothing less than R200 million in 2024 – deporting illegal immigrants, many of whom are likely to re-enter the country, was not feasible, and it would be more useful to redirect these funds towards internally capacitating the BMA.

Thereafter he asked if the Committee could be provided the names of the bus companies and airlines that bring illegal immigrants into the country. Further on illegal immigration, he stressed the importance of the Minister holding bilaterals with his Basotho counterpart regarding how to resolve the significant number of illegal crossings made by Basotho nationals into South Africa. He asked the Minister whether the department had considered taking such a step; if not, whether he could elaborate on the efforts currently underway to address the problem.

The smuggling of cigarettes has led to the loss of billions of revenue for SARS, and he asked where they were being manufactured, who the manufacturers were, and what action had been taken against them.

Mr A Roos (DA) agreed that the BMA had to be better resourced to fulfill its mandate. After saying that he posed three questions. First, he asked how the drones contributed to the BMA’s success in preventing 58 000 illegal crossings into the country. Second, whether the BMA was set to procure the new drones at the end of March or the beginning of April as expected. Third, if the BMA could explain why 24 538 persons were turned away at the Telle Bridge Border post and whether the area around that particular border post was vulnerable.

Mr S Ngubane (MK) asked for clarity on whether the BMA has procured new drones, if so, how many, and whether they were operational. He also asked the Minister whether he had managed to convince the Minister of Finance to allocate increased funding to the BMA to perform its mandate.

During its oversight visit at the BMA, the Committee was informed that it was unable to conduct patrols on a piece of privately owned farmland near one of the country’s borders. He asked whether any collaboration has taken place with the Department of Agriculture to resolve that matter.

Ms B Machi (IFP) said that despite a comprehensive multidisciplinary plan, the BMA continued to face significant operational limitations, like ageing infrastructure. Many ports of entry, including high-volume ports such as Lebombo, still rely on outdated facilities that slow down the processing of travelers and goods. The surge in cross-border movement during the festive season stretched the available personnel, leading to congestion and delays.

There are an inadequate number of detention facilities for undocumented migrants, impacting the entity’s ability to enforce immigration laws effectively. There is also continued inefficiency in real-time coordination and intelligence sharing between the BMA and key partners, such as the SAPS, SANDF, and law enforcement authorities in neighbouring countries.

The report did not clearly indicate whether formalised joint operations with bordering countries took place, raising concerns about bilateral and regional cooperation. Increased incidents of corruption, criminal activities, and internal misconduct remain a concern. In her view, the report lacked sufficient details on how such misconduct was addressed during operations.

Criminal syndicates took advantage of the high volume and border congestion to traffic contraband and stolen vehicles. Technical issues disrupted the operations of biometrics and drones, highlighting the need for ongoing system upgrades and staff training. The overall impact of the drones on border security was limited as they were only piloted on five ports of entry.

Following the 2024 national election, the political unrest in Mozambique led to a significant drop in traveller numbers and potential security vulnerabilities.

Over 58 000 individuals were intercepted while attempting illegal entry, more than double the previous year’s figure. This sharp increase raises questions about the integrity of the border during the non-peak periods.

The BMA’s limited budget hampered its ability to address systemic issues, upgrade infrastructure, hire more personnel, and scale-up successful pilot projects.

Ms L Mathopa (PA) commended the PA for its good work during its festive operations. She asked what mechanisms were in place to flag illegal immigrants who have been arrested and subsequently deported, and to prevent them from returning.

In her view, the procedure of deporting illegal immigrants was too long and placed a burden on the budget of other departments, such as the Department of Correctional Services. She asked the Minister what steps his department had taken to ensure the legal procedures to deport illegal immigrants are shortened.

Ms M Mtolo (ANC) asked how the BMA cooperated with other law enforcement agencies to ensure a secure and efficient border management process; what contingency plans were in place to deal with unexpected disruptions or incidents at the country’s border posts; and whether any specific guidelines were provided to domestic and foreign travellers, especially during peak periods.

The Chairperson applauded the BMA for its response to the crisis at the Lebombo Border Post and asked what lessons it could apply in the future.

During its oversight visit, the Committee noted that the BMA did not have an office. He asked the Minister to provide a detailed breakdown of what key programmes will be funded by the new budget allocation to the BMA.

The Committee was pleased to hear that the BMA’s hotline was now operational.

Mr Balene outlined that all individuals apprehended within the border law enforcement area (a 10-kilometre radius) are directly deported and are not taken to Lindela to avoid additional costs. The apprehended individuals are classified as inadmissible (V-listed) on the system, so they cannot return to the country.

Regarding the questions related to the drones, he mentioned that response teams – consisting of officials from the BMA, SANDF, and SAPS – were assigned to strategic areas at the five ports where the drones were being piloted, consisting of the BMA, SAPS and SANDF. Mini-control rooms were established at these ports of entry, which were equipped with radios and visual screens for the border guards to use.  Where attempted illegal crossings were spotted, the response team would be immediately informed and dispatched. Through these efforts, the BMA was able to deter several individuals from illegally crossing into the country.

As the drones had to be returned to their source, the BMA began a process to procure 10 drones from Armscor (the Department of Defence's arms procurement agency) using the R15 million budget provided by the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA). There was a delay in procuring the first four sets as the supplier sourced by Armscor encountered issues with their tax, but this has since been resolved.

The BMA cannot obtain a license from the Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate a drone until one has been procured. The entire process of obtaining a license takes a minimum of four months, and is then followed by the provision of training of the drone to the pilots, which will take another 4 months. Law enforcement agencies such as the SAPS are exempted from this as they were in force when the CAA Act was first promulgated, whereas the BMA was not.

He explained that the BMA was trying to show all the deterrence factors implemented during the festive operations through its presentation on the road traffic fines. Some of the fines outlined in the presentation refer to ones issued by the BMA, called administrative fines, to the buses and airlines transporting illegal immigrants into the country. The money generated from these fines belongs to the BMA.

Regarding preparations for the G20, he said the BMA is participating in a number of priority committees to ensure it is on par with the developments. To be fully prepared, the BMA will require additional resources, and it has recently been requested to provide a template of the resources it requires to prepare for the G20.

On confiscating illicit goods, he confirmed that the BMA can account for the goods it has confiscated and intercepted as they are placed in a store room for some time. They are destroyed sometime thereafter so that they cannot be recirculated. Some goods are taken to police stations as evidence when arrests are made.

Regarding what is being done about illegal immigrants refusing to return to their countries of origin, he stated that the BMA can only make interceptions at the ports of entry. The DHA’s Inland Inspectorate is responsible for intercepting illegal immigrants who are inland.

The BMA issues guidelines to travellers on what documents they need to have with them when they approach the country's borders. The Minister and Commissioner of the BMA also highlight these guidelines during their media engagement before the festive period.

Dr Masiapato indicated that the BMA has a plan to utilise the R4.3 billion allocation it has requested from the National Treasury. 40% of the budget will be allocated towards the recruitment of critical human resources, like immigration specialists (who are to be stationed at the country’s airports), environmental health practitioners (the BMA currently has 12), environmental biosecurity experts, and port health specialists (there is only port health presence at 37 of the country’s 71 ports). The BMA is expected to screen every traveller entering the Republic for infectious and communicable diseases, however, many of them are not due to the shortage of port health specialists. This is a violation of International Health Regulation 2015.

30% of the revenue allocation will be dedicated to improving the entity’s old information technology (IT) capacity, which is often susceptible to long periods of downtime. The final 30% will be invested in the BMA's tools of trade.

He mentioned that one of the important lessons learned in securing the Lebombo Border was the need to have multi-stakeholder engagements. The BMA was able to conduct these engagements with different stakeholders as its head is the chair of the Workstream 2 of the National Logistics Crisis Committee within the Presidency. The port to port engagements also assisted and ensured that the Mozambican government provided police and military personnel to escort trucks travelling from South Africa to Port Maputo.

Regarding Telle Bridge, he explained that when the junior border guards were brought to Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg, individuals tried to illegally enter the country through Telebridge. When the BMA noticed this, it redeployed its team to Telle Bridge. The majority of the 58 000 individuals intercepted were Basotho nationals.

Deputy Minister Nzuza highlighted that apprehending illegal individuals in the country was the responsibility of the DHA’s Inland Inspectorate Unit. While he acknowledged the high costs involved in deporting individuals, he pointed out that there were legal timeframes as to how long an individual can be detained. At the same time, there are cost implications in detaining someone at Lindela Repatriation Centre, as they must be provided for. As such, the speedy deportation of illegal immigrants was necessary.

The BMA has been able to conduct immediate deportation within a 10km radius of the country's borders, which has decreased the cost of deportation.

The Ministry was pleased that the One-Stop Border Post Bill process was advancing well. He hoped that once adopted, it would improve efficiency at the six land ports of entry through improved infrastructure and ease the movement of goods, thus stimulating economic development in the country. 

He said South Africa needed to conduct diplomatic discussions with its neighbours about some of their policies, like the innocent buyer principle, which has the unintended consequence of encouraging certain transnational crimes to take place in the country.

The BMA, he added, has displayed how to utilise limited resources to fulfil its objective.

Dr Leon Schreiber (Minister of Home Affairs) was pleased to see the broad acknowledgement of the BMA’s progress despite its limited resources. Discussions between the DHA and National Treasury are still underway regarding the provision of additional resources to the BMA. The BMA has assured the department of the viability of its plan and how it plans to utilise its funding allocation for the upcoming financial year.

Regarding the use of the drones, he asked if the Committee could engage with the Portfolio Committee on Transport to explore whether the BMA could be added as one of the law enforcement agencies to be exempted from the license approval process in the CAA Act.

On the deportation of illegal immigrants, he said the law requires the department to act against individuals apprehended for illegally entering the country. While he acknowledged that the costs of deportation were high, he asked what the consequences would be if there were a widespread perception that little action was taken against individuals entering South Africa illegally.

Regarding the Mozambican crisis, he applauded the BMA for safeguarding the Lebombo Border Post during the height of the violence in Mozambique. The redevelopment of the border posts, including the current Public-Private-Partnership project and the One-Stop Border Bill, hold the key to improving key economic corridors like the Lebombo Border Post. This experience should also teach the government that its dependency on other countries, such as the one it has with Mozambique due to access to its ports, needs to be lessened by improving the efficiency of ports in Cape Town, Durban, and Richards Bay.

He, the Deputy Minister, and the Commissioner of the BMA will undertake a visit around Lesotho's borders. A balance will have to be struck on how to deal with the influx of Basotho nationals into the country with South Africa’s national interest. The Lesotho government has mentioned how many of its nationals do not have access to passports. In his view, this was a problem that had to be resolved by the Lesotho government.

The Chairperson proposed that the department be requested to present its priority plans for the preparations for the Easter festivities soon. After making that proposal, he invited Members to ask any follow-up questions they may have had.

Ms Muthambi suggested that the BMA outline how it has responded to the National CyberSecurity Policy Framework, given the technological savvy of some criminals smuggling goods.

Mr Mogale welcomed the Minister’s announcement that he will soon visit the border area around Lesotho. He said two of his questions were not answered, which centred around who has been found to be responsible for the manufacturing of illicit cigarettes and which bus companies and airlines transport illegal immigrants into the country.

In addition, he asked for clarity on whether the 35 vehicle hits referred to those hijacked and recovered at the border posts before leaving the country.

Mr Ngubane said his question regarding the privately owned farmland alongside one of the border posts was not answered. He also asked the Minister to comment on the recent reports of underground tunnels being dug beneath the border of Lesotho and South Africa.

The Chairperson requested that the Minister answer the follow-up questions after making his remarks on the GPW.

After conducting an unannounced visit to the GPW, the Committee met with the executive management of the entity and organised labour, where it made certain observations that had to be addressed.

Minister Schreiber indicated that the Ministry conducted an oversight visit at the GPW's facilities following receipt of the Committee’s oversight report and noted all of the Committee's observations.

In his view, a broader intervention was necessary to address the systemic challenges faced by the GPW, and all parties involved should not engage in personal back-and-forth. Moreover, executive management should build productive labour relations. The real challenge at play, he believed, was the organisational culture at the GPW.

Currently, the GPW is not dependent on bailouts, which shows its potential to be a successful business.

Consideration should be given to broadening the scope of the Ministerial Review Panel, which will be touched on by the GPW's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), including the organisational culture challenges and how to improve the entity’s business model.

The GPW finds itself in a new world where technology has disrupted the print model. Like other companies, it had to adapt and transition to utilising digitised methods to ensure its survival. Correcting its organisational culture and reforming its business model will be the central tasks in restructuring the GPW over the next five years and ensuring that the organisation is fit for purpose.

The Chairperson highlighted that the Committee has had several engagements with the GPW’s executive, and organised labour. The Committee presumed that the Minister would have presented a detailed report on the plans in place to resolve the multiple issues faced by the GPW.

He hoped the Minister shared the Committee’s concerns on some of the issues observed at the GPW. After saying that he invited the GPW to take Members through its presentation.

Government Printing Works’ response to the concerns raised by the unions during the Committee’s oversight visit

Ms Alinah Fosi (Chief Executive Officer of the Government Printing Works), Mr Kuben Moodley (General Manager: Manufacturing and Engineering Services at the Government Printing Works) took the Committee through the presentation, which sought to respond to the concerns raised by the labour unions to the Members during their oversight visits at the GPW.

The GPW is a self-revenue-generating entity that has not received an allocation from the National Treasury since 2013. During the current CEO’s tenure, the GPW has managed to expand its footprint into other countries, like eSwatini, Lesotho, and Namibia, printing state security documents on their behalf.

The current GPW executive management inherited an institution plagued by years of instability due to the failure to hire a permanent CEO. The other significant challenge the institution faces is a negative culture due to senior managers being affiliated with labour unions, which prevents them from making impartial decisions. Their affiliation has led to the leakage of executive committee decisions and created a culture of fear, with the leadership unable to take tough decisions like implementing consequence management against officials found to be responsible for wrongdoing.

There have also been several instances of vandalism at the GPW, where officials have damaged infrastructure belonging to the entity and fellow employees. Employees at the entity are also working in poor conditions, with blocked drains on the Bosman office streets causing waste to flow in the corridors.

Due to the non-operation of several machines, the entity has had to outsource many of its services, with the total amount outsourced as a percentage of revenue currently standing at 10% over 5 years. The GPW charges a markup for these outsourced jobs. It would not be possible to avoid outsourcing in its entirety as GPW will occasionally experience capacity constraints (human or machinery that is under maintenance).

(See Presentation)

Discussion

Ms Muthambi agreed that the organisational culture in the GPW had to be changed. However, she noted that this would prove difficult due to internal resistance. Executive managers in the entity had to find the right balance between their responsibilities as labour union members and their fiduciary responsibilities. In her view, the Minister should intervene and attempt to help the unions and executive management reach a consensus.

Allegations were made during the Committee’s oversight visit of a machine that was bought and not used once, which seemed similar to the procurement of the ill-fitting locomotives by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. She asked whether the officials responsible were identified and taken through consequence management. The Committee observed the state of some of the machines and saw how some were obsolete. She asked what would be done with these machines.

Mr Roos said the Committee observed, both in the Auditor-General’s report and during its oversight visit to the GPW, the lack of consequence management at the GPW. He expressed hope that consequence management had been taken against the officials responsible for the entity's R1.5 billion irregular expenditures.

The Committee was surprised by the working environment at the GPW office on Bosman Street, with some officials reporting that they could not breathe properly due to the heat emitted by the machines. In his view, this showed a lack of care by the GPW towards its staff. Moreover, the Committee was surprised that 90 out of 176 machines were not functioning (11% of the 90 machines have been discontinued, 70 are not functioning). With many of the machines not functioning, several officials reported that they did not have any work to do at the entity. He asked why the GPW had not reinvested its revenue into the refurbishment of the machines.

He stressed the need for the GPW to clarify its business model, which would entail establishing whether to continue outsourcing many of its functions or improving its internal capacity.

Ms Modise-Mpya wondered whether the scope of the GPW’s responsibilities could be extended to increase its revenue creation capacity. She felt that the CEO had played the victim during the presentation instead of taking responsibility for the wrongs occurring at an institution she has led for nearly five years, and providing solutions. In her view, executive management lacked compassion for the GPW staff, who worked in terrible conditions.

During the oversight visit, the Committee was told that certain officials had no confidence in the CEO’s leadership and believed she was colluding with those involved in the entity's wrongdoing. Having heard the CEO’s remarks during the presentation, she believed there was truth in the allegations.

Slide 13.3 discussed how the GPW could avoid outsourcing in its entirety, and she asked if this meant that the entity did not have any plans to capacitate internally. This would need to be done as corruption occurs in outsourcing services.

Thereafter, she asked what impact the machines' downtime had on the entity’s productivity and how the entity had managed to generate revenue.

Mr Mogale said it was unacceptable for the GPW to outsource its functions. He too felt that the CEO had not provided the Committee with confidence. In his view, the problems at the GPW required immediate intervention.

Mr Ngubane also expressed disappointment with the CEO's presentation, which did not elaborate on whether any turnaround plans were in place. Instead, he focused on shifting responsibility for the challenges faced by the GPW to the labour unions. He said the GPW could end up going the way of the Post Office (which is under business rescue) if the Minister does not make any serious interventions.

The GPW needed to employ an outsourcing strategy in which service providers assist in developing the skills of GPW officials so that the entity can eventually carry out its functions independently.

Ms Mtolo agreed that urgent intervention from the Minister was required.

The Chairperson proposed that the Committee reconvene on Friday to deliberate on the Immigration Amendment Bill and the Political Party Funding Act. That would be followed by a briefing by the Minister on the department's assessment of the GPW's cultural and operational challenges, what interventions will be implemented, and a briefing by the GPW's CEO.

Ms Machi supported the proposal.

Mr Mogale also voiced support for the proposal.

Ms Fosi said it would be preferable for the GPW to respond to the questions asked by Members in writing. She also pointed out that the Committee’s letter did not ask the GPW to elaborate on its turnaround strategy.

The Chairperson said the Committee rejected the presentation made by the GPW.

Minister Schreiber felt it was unreasonable for the Committee to have requested a report be submitted the Friday before. Nevertheless, he accepted the Committee’s request to make a presentation on a turnaround plan for the GPW next Tuesday. In his opinion, turning around the GPW would require the organisation to implement changes internally and provide external assistance through an advisory panel.

Deputy Minister Nzuza asked if the Ministry was expected to attend Friday’s meeting.

The Chairperson confirmed that it would be expected to do so.

The meeting was adjourned.