The BMA has confirmed the new switch-over system, installed to expedite data capture and to prevent future disruptions. The glitches that recently interrupted the flow of international flights at the King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) in KwaZulu-Natal have been sorted out, according to Mmemme Mogotsi, the deputy assistant commissioner for communications and marketing at the Border Management Authority (BMA). A few days ago, international travellers were delayed by the airport’s malfunctioning biometric movement control system (BMCS) which reportedly processed a single flight in three hours. The BMCS was introduced in 2022 at some of the biggest airports in the country. Mogotsi said although the capturing of biometrics could be slow, the system yielded good results of a number of interceptions at most of the ports of entry.

Biometric systems installed: The BMA was notified of the situation last weekend. Please note that the BMCS system is a shared system, with the department of home affairs as a host. There is currently a transitional process for BMA to take over this system with the assistance of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). In the interim, and to address the issues of service delivery at King Shaka International Airport, a switchover system was installed to assist with the speed of capturing data on the biometric system, said Mogotsi.

Contacted for comment, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) spokesperson Ernest Mulibana distanced his organisation from the crisis that unfolded and said they were not part of the people managing the biometric system at the airport. Acsa does not have biometrics at King Shaka yet. The current ones belong to the BMA, he said. It was not the first time the processing of passengers at KSIA had been delayed due to technical glitches.

Safety concerns remain: In August, passengers complained about long queues at the airport, allegedly caused by technological failures. At the time, Acsa released a statement saying the situation was being attended to by the department of home affairs and BMA. Recently, a 50-year-old man reportedly collapsed and died at the King Shaka International Airport. Mulibana confirmed the incidents and said a police investigation was underway to determine what happened. The two incidents raise questions about the safety measures at the country’s airports.