Travel Alert – Border Regulations
Clarity around border regulations
Regulations that are being implemented at SA’s borders are not new but are now being actively enforced.
TAM reported on Monday that new regulations had been implemented at all South African borders. It has since emerged that the regulations are old but are now being actively enforced, especially at the Swaziland border.
The regulations include that drivers of South African-registered cars crossing SA borders must carry and present a certified copy of vehicle registration/vehicle licence papers at the border posts. This must be accompanied by a letter from the bank giving authorisation to take the vehicle across the border and must indicate dates of travel. Both the bank letter and licence papers should be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths.
If the driver of the vehicle is not the owner of the vehicle, an affidavit from the police giving authorisation from the financial institution/owner to take the vehicle abroad is required. If the car is rented, the driver must have a letter from the rental company giving permission to take the vehicle out of the country.
An SAPS policewoman from the Oshoek-Ngwenya (Swaziland) border gate told Darron Raw, MD at Swazi Trails, that the regulations were long-standing but were only applied when a driver appeared suspicious or during specific crime prevention operations. She added that cross-border travellers were required to have their vehicle documentation available for inspection on request.
Another SAPS officer, in charge at the Mahamba border told Raw that the regulations requiring drivers to prove ownership or have permission to drive a particular car, had been in place for a long time at the Swaziland borders but were seldom implemented except in highly suspicious cases. The officer added that the regulations were now being more actively enforced to prevent cross-border car theft.
The Giriyonda (Mozambique) border post said all drivers crossing the border either from SA or into SA were required to present a certified copy of the vehicle registration and if the driver did not own the car, a certified copy of the bank’s ownership was required.
However, this regulation is not being as actively enforced at all borders.
Natalie Tenzer-Silva, Director of Dana Tours confirmed that it was not a new regulation. She said a woman at the Mozambique border driving an SA-registered vehicle did have a copy of her vehicle registrations and a letter from the bank but that the border officials seem very relaxed about the regulations.
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