Border buses in spotlight as association demands action over permitless operators

Joburg, 7 July 2026 The chair of the Africa Unite Border Buses and Trucks Association has accused the state-owned Cross-Border Road Transport Authority (C-BRTA) of allowing permitless foreign bus operators to bring undocumented migrants into South Africa for decades and demanded legal consequences.

Association calls for criminal charges and protests

Phumudzo Mukhwathi said C-BRTA enforcement head Simon Ditshego should be charged criminally for allegedly failing to stop unauthorised bus operators. He called for a peaceful protest march to hold C-BRTA and the border gate official accountable.

“We are calling for South Africans to organise a peaceful protest march to hold C-BRTA and the border gate official accountable for failing to prevent illegal bus operators for decades from bringing undocumented immigrants into the country, which has led to instability and overpopulation in South Africa.”

“For decades, these bus operators crossed into South Africa with illegal foreigners.

“We are disappointed that, under Ditshego’s leadership, nothing has been done to stop this corruption. We want consequences,”

Incidents cited and legal breach alleged

Mukhwathi cited interceptions last year when Limpopo provincial transport department officials and Bloemfontein traffic officers stopped buses entering the country without valid permits while carrying large numbers of undocumented migrants. He said the operators violated Section 30 of the C-BRTA Act No 4 of 1998.

The Border Management Authority intercepted at least 25 unauthorised foreigner-operated buses in 2023 that were carrying undocumented people across the border, the association noted. The report also referenced a case in which former home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi intercepted foreigner-operated buses filled with undocumented migrants and participated in a police operation to prevent illegal crossings.

Allegations during repatriation operations

During ongoing repatriation of undocumented migrants, Mukhwathi said permitless foreign bus operators were allowed to carry migrants to the Musina repatriation centre, while local bus operators from Durban and Cape Town were ordered to first apply for immediate permits at the Beitbridge border post in Musina.

Mukhwathi also alleged that some officials en route and at the border forced bus operators to pay R2 500 spot fines. He said most affected were South African bus operators because they could not afford to pay, while foreign drivers had budgets set aside for fines.

C-BRTA response

Ditshego defended the decision to allow foreign operators to ferry migrants to Musina, saying neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) states had arranged for foreign bus operators to transport their citizens to the Musina repatriation centre, from which they were moved to their respective home countries.

What the association wants

In addition to criminal charges for enforcement leadership, the association wants accountability for the alleged long-standing failure to stop permitless operators and action against the proliferation of bus ranks, particularly in the Johannesburg CBD, which Mukhwathi blamed on C-BRTA enforcement failures.