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Management at O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), the busiest port of entry into the country and the region, has learnt that the deployment of a Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS) at the airport led to unintended consequences of extended passenger processing time at ORTIA.

The purpose of introducing the BMCS, an initiative by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), is to add another layer of a preventative management system that will help to minimise or eliminate fraud and corruption. The system, still in the pilot phase, was scheduled for deployment at ORTIA this weekend.

ORTIA would like to apologise to all passengers and stakeholders who were negatively affected by this development. However, both DHA and ORTIA believe that valuable lessons were learned this weekend that will ensure that future similar exercises to roll-out the system at other international ports of entry, will be smoother with little interruption to normal day-to day operations.

In the past few months, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the parent company of ORTIA, announced several drug bursts involving passengers entering or leaving the country and this is a consequence of increased focus on security at our national key points. The deployment of the BMCS is yet another step forward to make our borders safer and corruption free.

ACSA and DHA management would like to request patience from the public and travellers as we tighten security at the airports and ensure that we eliminate fraud and corruption.

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