South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) is operating with 2,146 officers across its four regions, while a 75% vacancy rate continues to undermine its capacity, according to a written parliamentary reply by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.

The figures were provided in response to questions from African Transformation Movement (ATM) Member of Parliament Thandiswa Linnen Marawu, who sought information about staffing levels at border posts, the adequacy of personnel and whether officers had the necessary tools to combat corruption.

The response raises questions about the authority’s ability to manage the country’s borders effectively while dealing with immigration pressures and corruption at ports of entry.

According to Schreiber’s reply to parliamentary question 5594, published on October 16, the BMA has 669 officers in the Central Region, which covers Gauteng and the Free State.

The Eastern Region, covering KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, has 696 officers, while the Northern Region, which includes Limpopo and North West, has 490.

The Southern Region, covering the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape, has 291 officers.

Together, the four regions have 2,146 officers.

Marawu also asked whether the number of officers was sufficient when compared with the number of visitors entering South Africa monthly.

Schreiber’s response was direct: the number was not sufficient.

“No, the BMA continues to operate with a 75% vacancy rate,” the reply stated.

The minister added that commitments contained in the recent Medium Term Budget Policy Statement should assist with urgently needed capacity improvements.

He also answered in the negative when asked whether BMA officers had the necessary tools of trade to perform their duties effectively and combat corruption at border posts.

The minister again pointed to commitments in the budget policy statement as a potential intervention to address the authority’s capacity challenges.

The staffing shortage comes amid concerns about corruption within the country’s border management system.

In March, the BMA announced that more than 50 immigration officials had been dismissed after being found involved in corrupt activities at ports of entry. A further 38 officials were under investigation at the time.

BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said the authority was operating at about 25% of its required staffing capacity, with approximately 8,000 positions unfilled.

The affected ports of entry included Beitbridge, Lebombo, Oshoek and Maseru Bridge, as well as OR Tambo International Airport, according to a report by SAnews published on March 10.

The authority’s staffing and equipment challenges are significant because border officials are responsible for managing the movement of people and goods through the country’s ports of entry.

Marawu also questioned the minister about the participation of naturalised South African citizens in the 2026 local government elections.

In parliamentary question 5647, she asked how many naturalised citizens were standing as candidates in each province.

Schreiber confirmed that 101 naturalised citizens were candidates in the elections.

Gauteng had the highest number, with 28 candidates, followed by the Western Cape with 17 and KwaZulu-Natal with 15.

The Eastern Cape had 13 candidates, Mpumalanga nine and Limpopo eight.

North West had six candidates, the Free State four, while the Northern Cape had one.

The figures provide a provincial breakdown of naturalised citizens participating in the elections, although the reply did not identify their political parties or the municipalities in which they were contesting.

The Electoral Commission announced in September that 136,790 candidates had met the statutory requirements to contest the 2026 local government elections.

The candidates were competing for seats across eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

The commission said the number of certified candidates was substantially higher than the 95,427 recorded in the 2021 local government elections, despite only a marginal increase in the number of available council seats.

The two parliamentary replies address separate issues, but both provide information about the administration of South Africa’s borders and the participation of naturalised citizens in the country’s democratic processes.

While the Home Affairs Department has pointed to budget commitments as a possible means of addressing the BMA’s staffing and equipment shortages, the parliamentary responses do not specify when the vacancies will be filled or what additional tools will be provided to officers.