Borders get tech boost

EASTER: SECURITY ENHANCED TO DEAL WITH MASSIVE TRAFFIC INCREASE

- Jarryd Westerdale

The Border Management Authority (BMA) will get a technological boost just in time for the Easter weekend.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber and BMA officials yesterday unveiled a new range of surveillance technology to enhance security.

The new additions will boost an already tech-friendly agency as it prepares for a massive increase in border activity.

More than two years in the making and at a cost of R150 million, the BMA received 40 body-worn cameras and a set of drones to monitor border operations.

The cameras, which will be deployed at BMA offices, OR Tambo International Airport and the Ficksburg and Maseru border posts, allow control-room observers to view live footage from the officers.

The centralised control room can access live feeds from the ground, track the location of officers and use recordings to improve operational efficiency.