The DA calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to open the remaining closed border posts without further delay.

When the DA questioned Minister Motsoaledi on why smaller border posts such as Stockpoort remain closed, he responded that Port Health is not there and therefore they cannot implement Covid-19 protocols.

However, a full week after the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, announced that all Covid restrictions have been removed, including those regarding people entering the country, South Africa’s smaller border posts remain closed, with devastating economic effects on local communities.

The DA Shadow Minister of Health, Michele Clarke, questioned the Department of Health on where these Port Health officials are and when they will return to their posts, but the Health Department have been unable to provide a simple explanation for several weeks.

Who is in charge of our border posts? The Border Management Authority? Home Affairs? The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS)? Port Health?

And where are the Immigration and Port Health officials that are supposed to be working at these border posts, while businesses around border posts such as Stockpoort have closed their doors, the Bureau de change retrenched all their employees, and vegetable tunnels closed due to no sales across the border?

Our borders operate in a leadership vacuum, and it is the citizens of South Africa who, as usual, take the punishment.

Minister Motsoaledi claims we need a whole new immigration regime, but what we really need is competent officials at their posts doing their jobs.

Motsoaledi moet die oorblywende geslote grensposte sonder verdere versuim oopmaak

Die DA doen ’n beroep op die minister van binnelandse sake, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, om die oorblywende geslote grensposte sonder verdere versuim oop te maak.

Toe die DA minister Motsoaledi ondervra het oor hoekom kleiner grensposte soos Stockpoort gesluit bly, het hy geantwoord dat grensgesondheid (Port Health) nie daar is nie en daarom kan hulle nie Covid-protokolle implementeer nie.

’n Hele week nadat Dr Joe Phaahla, die minister van gesondheid, aangekondig het dat alle Covid-beperkings verwyder is, insluitend die met betrekking tot mense wat die land binnekom, bly Suid-Afrika se kleiner grensposte egter gesluit met verwoestende ekonomiese uitwerking op plaaslike gemeenskappe.

Die DA skaduminister van gesondheid, Michele Clarke, het die departement van gesondheid gevra waar hierdie grensgesondheidsamptenare is en wanneer hulle na hul poste sal terugkeer, maar die gesondheidsdepartement kon vir ’n paar weke nie ’n eenvoudige verduideliking gee nie.

Wie is in beheer van ons grensposte? Die grensbestuursowerheid? Binnelandse sake? Die Nasionale gesamentlike operasionele en intelligensiestruktuur (NATJOINTS)? Grensgesondheid?

En waar is die immigrasie- en grensgesondheidsbeamptes wat veronderstel is om by hierdie grensposte te werk, terwyl besighede in grensposte soos Stockpoort hul deure gesluit het, die Klassifikasieburo al hul werknemers afgelê het, en groentetonnels gesluit is weens geen verkope oor die grens?

Ons grense funksioneer in ’n leierskapsvakuum, en dit is die burgers van Suid-Afrika wat, soos gewoonlik, die las dra.

Minister Motsoaledi beweer ons het ’n hele nuwe immigrasieregime nodig, maar wat ons regtig nodig het, is bekwame amptenare in hul poste wat hul werk doen.

 

Issued by Adrian Roos MP - DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Home Affairs