Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber on Tuesday called technology “our greatest ally” in the fight against fraud and corruption, as he addressed the launch of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-corruption Forum (BMIACF), an intensified and coordinated initiative to deal with corruption in the sector.

The BMIACF was launched by Home Affairs, the Special Investigating Unit and the Border Management Authority of South Africa (BMA).

Schreiber said accountability needed to be enforced while systems were reformed to effectively deal with corruption, resource constraints, inefficiencies and risks to national security, owing to “ineffective and outdated” border and immigration management.

“In a country that is deeply tired of corruption, it is a source of true inspiration that this forum is walking the talk. As we speak, corrupt officials are being disciplined and fired. Prosecutions are following,” he said.

He pointed to systemic changes, which he said were underway to rid institutions of the corrupt syndicates seeking to “hold citizens hostage”.

He said Home Affairs was committed to systems reform that would close the space for discretion, that enabled fraud and corruption.

“In this quest, our greatest ally is technology. One of the fundamental pillars of our commitment to digital transformation, is to employ technology in ways that prevent and detect corruption to uproot corrupt networks altogether,” Schreiber said.

He noted the work of the Multilingual Digital Terminology Today, which he said had already shown the power of data analytics.

“…but the reality is that, for as long as we have paper-based visa documents, for as long as we use manual, paper-based processes, and for as long as decisions are wide-open to human discretion and interference, the space for corruption will continue to exist,” he stated.

Home Affairs’ digital transformation vision would systematically close those gaps, he promised, as he announced that paper visas were being replaced by an Electronic Travel Authorisation featuring AI- and machine learning-based adjudication.

He added that paper documents were being replaced by secure digital documents, including the digital Identity Document (ID) system announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address.

The green ID book will be phased out and replaced by the smart ID and digital ID.

“…and we are automating entry-and-exit at all of South Africa’s ports-of-entry. The Medium-Term Development Plan aims to achieve this at all airports first, and at all land and sea ports by the end of this administration,” he explained.

He believes these reforms will deliver a systems revolution in the border management and immigration environment.

“No more papers that can go missing or be manipulated. No more photo-swopping on green ID books. No more bribing an immigration officer to manipulate an outcome, or to gain entry to our country illegally,” he said.

He said it was for this reason his department was pursuing an unprecedented clean-up to enforce accountability, as well as a systems revolution that would demonstrate the power of collaboration and digital transformation to uproot corruption.

Schreiber said systemic reform through digital transformation that fundamentally reshaped and modernised the systems of government, could roll back capture by syndicates and end corruption.

ACTIONABLE COMMITMENT

Meanwhile, BMA commissioner Major-General David Chilembe said the launch of the BMIACF represented a critical milestone in ongoing efforts to combat corruption and uphold ethical governance within the border management and immigration sectors.

He said the establishment of the forum came as the BMA was intensifying and coordinating efforts to fight corruption within the ports of entry and along law enforcement area in the borderline.

He said the forum was not a symbolic gesture but an actionable commitment.

“…it is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration, transparency and resolve. It was by no mistake that the BMA adopted values of vigilance, integrity, patriotism, professionalism, innovation and excellence,” he said.

He said border management and immigration must be a priority to deal with of the issues affecting the country and it also required immediate intervention.

He pointed to the BMA’s achievements made in two years, saying the authority had intercepted a number of travellers trying to enter South Africa illegally and had dismissed staff members involved in corruption.

National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi said the launch was another demonstration of collective efforts to build a secure and prosperous South Africa, calling for transparency, accountability and a culture of integrity in public institutions.

“…corruption as we all know is an attack on the rule of law, it undermines the very foundation of our governance structures and our commitment to fairness and integrity and in the critical areas of border management and immigration it poses significant challenges,” she stated.

She said it also compromised economic stability and the safety of citizens.

“Our ability to control and monitor our borders is a key pillar of State security and sovereignty, and when these systems are vulnerable to corruption, the consequences are dire,” noted Batohi.

Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya said securing the border was important, as it reduced undesired influx into the country, noting the percentages of arrests of foreign nationals.

He said 59% of arrests made in the second quarter were foreign nationals, whereas 41% were South Africans. In the third quarter 68% were foreign nationals.