- Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says no traveller will be allowed into the country without a valid Covid-19 test certificate.
- The Department of Health will deploy additional officials to all ports of entry to ensure that only travellers with valid tests are allowed into the country.
- Motsoaledi advised all travellers to obtain a test certificate before approaching any border post.
Travellers coming to South Africa will not be able to enter the country without a valid Covid-19 test certificate.
This is according to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, who briefed the media on Wednesday.
He said travellers would need to produce the authentic tests.
"Those who plan their journey are advised to obtain a 72-hour PCR [polymerase chain reaction] certificate. It is advisable for a traveller to obtain a PCR test before approaching the border," he said.
"The Department of Health, via its Port Health unit, will deploy additional port health officials to all ports of entry to ensure that only travellers with a valid PCR tests are allowed into the country."
More than 259 Port Health officials will be deployed to all ports of entry.
"In addition, 278 community service personnel on contract will be deployed. The National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) will enlist private laboratories to provide additional support for testing. South African Military Health Services has been requested to provide 73 additional military health personnel to help in the testing.
"The Provincial Joints (Operational and Intelligence Structure) have been activated for policing and will conduct roadblocks and vehicle control points within the border law enforcement area."
Roadblocks
Motsolaedi said provincial authorities would also conduct roadblocks in Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, the Kosi Bay border post between KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique, which has been closed since the beginning of the lockdown in March this year, will be opened from 1 January 2021.
The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency will also deploy inspectors at Beit Bridge, Lebombo, Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg 2 to 14 January 2021.
"The department will deploy an additional 160 officials at Beit Bridge, Lebombo, Oshoek, Maseru Bridge, Ficksburg and Kopfontein border post for returning travellers until 14 January 2021.
"Another 60 additional immigration law enforcement officers will be deployed to support the SA National Defence Force at identified high risk areas along the borderline where people tend to cross illegally into South Africa," Motsoaledi said.
So far of the 53 land border posts in the country, 35 remain closed since the beginning of the lockdown.
"We closed certain borders because of no economic activities and didn’t have other departments deployed there. No country can say all their borders have been closed to South Africa," said Motsoaledi.