Minister of Home Affairs Naledi Pandor today, Thursday, 24 April 2014 announced that the department’s Immigration Section processed  a total of 754 616 travellers at South Africa’s national ports of entry land, sea and airports for the period of the Easter weekend of 17-22 April 2014. This total figure comprises 535 960 foreigners and 218 000 South Africans.

As part of preparations for the Easter Weekend, Minister Pandor  had extended working hours at a number of national ports entry that would witness an upsurge in traveller movement during the Easter Holidays. This included deployment of additional staff to such ports of entry.

The highest volume ports of entry during this past Easter weekend included:  Oliver Tambo International Airport, Beit Bridge, Maseru Bridge, Lebombo, Ficksburg,  Oshoek  and Groblers Bridge.

In this regard, the top five nationalities who were recorded arriving and departing South Africa were as follows: Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique and United Kingdom.

Minister Naledi Pandor takes this opportunity to extend her gratitude to all departmental  officials who worked during this period to help ensure effective and efficient services to all those who travelled through our ports of entry during the Easter weekend.