The Department of Home Affairs is looking to implement a new system for travellers departing from OR Tambo International Airport.
During the festive season, the DHA piloted a system where South African citizens were separated from foreigners at departures. “This pilot project showed there is value in implementing this option permanently because the service required by citizens and other travellers at the airport is different,” says Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Home Affairs.
But, Chris Zweigenthal, CEO of Aasa, is not convinced the separation of passengers at departures will be beneficial.
He says that at arrivals, where the separation of SA citizens and foreigners is already in place, this makes sense because the immigration desks process an influx of passengers in one shot. Foreigners require further checks, including documentation checks and the possible collection of biometrics. Whereas, at departures, he says, checkls are more sporadic. Travellers visas are checked and sometimes biometrics are captured if they had not been captured on arrival.
The DHA also said it would allocate R25m to ORTIA for the 2017/2018 financial year with the aim of appointing 58 immigration officials. A further R17m will be allocated to the airport in the 2018/2019 financial year to again increase staff capacity.
Gigaba also says Cabinet and the department may scale down the number of airports with international status. “We may have to declare some of the international airports as just seasonal airports, so that we deploy personnel and resources according to the type of season.” For this to happen, Gigaba says the DHA needs to consult with several stakeholders, including the Department of Tourism, before it can proceed.
