Committee Tours Report of Gauteng and Mpumalanga: adoption

Home Affairs

26 October 2004
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Meeting report

HOME AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
26 October 2004
COMMITTEE TOURS REPORT OF GAUTENG AND MPUMALANGA: ADOPTION

Chairperson: Mr H Chauke (ANC)

Documents handed out
Committee Report on Study Tours to Gauteng and Mpumalanga

SUMMARY
The Committee adopted the report of the study tour to Gauteng and Mpumalanga with amendments. These amendments covered the further inclusion of issues around the procurement of staff, non-alignment of municipal boundaries, and problems facing border patrols. Recommendations were also suggested. The meeting suggested areas of discussion for the Committee's upcoming meeting with the Department. They agreed that the written strategic plan should stay with Home Affairs - they could not present their security plan to Parliament and thus public scrutiny. The Department should brief the Committee, but not give explicit details.

MINUTES
Mr S Swart (ACDP) said the report was a good one, but should include when the Department planned to decentralise its functions, and about progress made in this regard.

The Chairperson agreed that centralised Pretoria handling impacted on the speed of service delivery. The study tour had particularly revealed difficulties in obtaining birth certificates.

Mr B Mashile (ANC) pointed out that the lack of staff was missing in the report. On the study tour, the Committee had picked up on the frustration with the procurement of staff. The manner in which the provinces had to find staff was problematic.

Mr K Morwamoche (ANC) said another issue missing was the non-alignment of Home Affairs offices in the new municipal dispensation. He also mentioned Judge White's complaint about promotions and the unfilled funded posts.

Mr M Sibande (ANC) pointed out an error on Page 4 regarding informal crossingd to Mozambique from Mbuzini. He said that there was another informal crossing into Swaziland.

The Chairperson also noted that the issue of border patrols with no transport. Soldiers were being deployed ten kilometres away. If someone was spotted illegally crossing, the soldiers had to walk long distances. This issue had to be raised with the Department of Defence. The South African Police Services were meant to take over this function, but that he had heard nothing more about developments.

Ms A Van Wyk (ANC) said that there was a move for the police force to take over the patrols of the borders. The plans were in the pipeline.

Mr Mashile said that there was also the political issue of Zimbabwe, and the report should note the Chief who had subjects on both sides of the boundary. The Chief was offering people South African papers to obtain grants. The possibility of corruption had to be noted.

Mr J Vermeulen (Committee Secretary) asked for the Committee to bring recommendations along with amendments and changes.

The Chairperson said that the Committee would have to have a meeting with SAPS about the report. The problems of borders were political issues where interventions and recommendations needed to be debated in Parliament. Regarding the appalling situation at Bongwe border post, a meeting should take place between the Departments of Home Affairs and Safety and Security, and the SARS. There was a planned visit to Mozambique next year where they would be able to engage their counterparts on shared problems.

Mr Sibande proposed a cluster meeting with Foreign Affairs, that could deal with the serious issues of the forging of documents. They had to engage with all the consuls and get to the bottom of rumours about the corruption of arresting illegal immigrants at each month end. There was also a claim that the officials were 'xenophobia culprits'.

Mr Morwamoche said the report should include the death being ruled as natural causes at Lindela.

Mr Swart suggested that the Department answer these questions at their planned upcoming meeting. They would have to answer specific questions.

Mr Morwamoche proposed that the report be adopted with the said changes.

Mr W Skhosana (ANC) seconded the adoption of the report with the exception of Section 10.4 on Counter Corruption. The written strategic plan should stay with Home Affairs - they could not present their security plan to Parliament and thus public scrutiny. Ms Van Wyk agreed that the Department should brief the Committee, but not give explicit details.

The Chairperson agreed that the words 'please forward the policy to Parliament by the target date', be removed. The report was then adopted.

The meeting was adjourned.

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