Drone deployment at borders has helped crime fight: BMA

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber holds a drone.

Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr. Mike Masiapato has hailed the use of drones to combat crime at the Beitbridge border post in Musina, Limpopo.

Dr Masiapato says they procured the drones in 2023 and officially launched them in April this year.

Beitbridge Border Post is one of the busiest ports-of-entry with a large number of reported crimes, involving the smuggling of goods, corruption and illegal immigration.

Masiapato was speaking during the launch of a campaign to curb fraud and corruption at the border post.

“Before we even had drones and before we came on board as the Border Management Authority just on the corridor on the N1 around the Makhado around Polokwane for instance, you will find that the police intercept the bus with something like 60 passengers and out of the 60, they will be around 50 without documents. I think you’ll remember that at all those incidents they used to be a lot of them almost every weekend and now you can ask yourself what happened to those instances is primarily because now with the drone we deploy it in the air, we are able to see when the bus arrives even in the Zimbabwean side.”

Commissioner Masiapato calls on all officials and members who are operating at Ports of Entry, to live out these important values which are Vigilance, Integrity Professionalism Patriotism Innovation and Excellence ; VIP PIE, to ensure an effective border management process. pic.twitter.com/EMLA3PyhfQ

— The Border Management Authority SA (@TheBMA_SA) November 11, 2025