Today, 2 May 2014, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor officially opened the new Cape Town maritimePort of Entry Control Centre recently established at Cowrie Place within the Cape Town harbour, in the Western Cape, to improve migration control and border management.

The Cape Town Port of Entry Control Centre is an important step in government’s effort to enhance the integrated approach to border management. It will assist in tackling problems around border security and control in the harbour.

As opposed to the current coordinating system at maritime ports, this integrated model brings together members of staff from various departments, functions and infrastructure.

In the past government departments and state agencies were dispersed across the Cape Town harbour and throughout the greater city.

The integrated centre which is the first of its kind in South African history is likely to serve as a precedent for many more ports of entry in the maritime, air and land border environment in the country. It draws from other experiences and best practices internationally.

It will operate as a model ‘Government House’ that brings together government departments and state agencies including immigration, customs, health, agriculture, security and intelligence under one roof, to promote a seamless, modernised, efficient and effective service.

According to Minister Pandor the success of this massive project shows how much we can achieve when we work together as government, business, labour, non-profits, community representatives and broader civil society.

All government and state agencies involved in this ground-breaking project of national importance echoed the view that the new maritime port of entry control centre will improve border security while enhancing legitimate trade and free movement of people, goods, services and capital in the country’s interest. It will be a model for the much anticipated Border Management Agency.

The Cape Town harbour and its various commercial and official government activities have a bearing on the province’s and the city’s development. The 2012/2013 statistics show that 870 851 containers and 729 736 tons of dry bulk moved through the Cape Town port. In this period 62 570 people entered and/or departed from the Cape Town harbour.

Unemployment in the Western Cape province is around 21.6%. Indigent households constitute about 21% of the city’s population. Around 75% of businesses in Cape Town are classified as small and medium enterprises.

Improved border security is a national priority. With the new maritime port of entry control centre we can now look forward to better vessel control, improved and shared IT infrastructure as well as enhanced human resource capacity with officials from key departments, including Home Affairs, Health and Agriculture, located on-site. A one-stop client service area with integrated business processes and border management is a unique feature of ‘government house’.

The new, integrated Cape Town maritime port of entry control centre boasts an inter-governmental cordination monitoring centre, within the building, where information is shared among participating departments and agencies. About 90 staff members from various government departments and agencies are expected to be located in the centre.

The event brought together people from diverse walks of life including leaders of government, state agencies, business, non-profits and communities. They all welcomed the new ‘government house’ as a positive story to tell as part of the 20 years of freedom, justice and peace.

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Enquiries: Lunga Ngqengelele 082 566 0446; Ronnie Mamoepa 082 990 4853