By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has dismissed allegations that immigration officers are accepting bribes at the Lebombo Border post.
The primary gateway between South Africa and Mozambique—has become a flashpoint of both festive movement and controversy.
On December 25, 2025, reports of bribery and systemic extortion surfaced just as traffic volumes reached a record-breaking peak, forcing authorities to defend the integrity of the country’s busiest land crossing.
According to BMA Commissioner Dr. Mike Masiapato, the port of entry processed over 30,152 individuals in a single 24-hour window leading into Christmas Day.
Despite these efforts, the post continues to experience long queues.
Masiapato said, there was no evidence of systemic corruption at the border post. He said, however, that some travellers attempt to bribe officials in order to bypass queues.
The authority has implemented several interventions to combat corruption among its staff.
He added that officials at the border are closely monitored through body cameras, allowing control room staff to track interactions in real time.
“In terms of ordinary officials that are doing work here are wearing body cameras, meaning that in the control room, they are able to follow the activities they do, even the interactions that they have with the travellers. Therefore, should they be accepting any bribe they would definitely be dealt with very, very decisively”.
Masiapato said the high numbers put pressure on staff and infrastructure but emphasised that border operations continued without major disruptions.
“In terms of the current infrastructure, in terms of the current capacity from a staff point of view, and the rest of the working tools of trade, the reality is the people that are coming here at Lebombo are a lot, he said.
Lebombo, one of the four busiest land ports in southern Africa, is about 110km (68 miles) from Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, and about 440km from South Africa’s capital of Pretoria.