Hansard: Debate on Vote 4: Home Affairs (OAC)
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 08 May 2013
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Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 13
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 May 2013,"Take 13 [Old Assembly Main].doc"
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-13] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
THURSDAY, 9 MAY 2012
PROCEEDINGS OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMITTEES – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Members of the Extended Public Committee met in the Old Assembly Chamber at 14:00.
House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick, as Chairperson, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 13
Start of Day
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 4 – Home Affairs:
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Chairperson, hon Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs Maggie Maunye and members of the committee, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Chohan, and hon members of the National Assembly, you often find that Ministers who are new to a portfolio get tempted to develop new policy, amend legislation and seek to create a personal history. I found this a hazardous path to take, particularly in the third year of a term of government. The policies and objectives of the department are my mandate and are my focus.
The priorities are the following: to register all births within 30 days of birth; to ensure all 16-year-olds apply for and receive identity documents, IDs; to enhance security, by creating a reliable National Population Register that is supported by modern technology and effective administration; to ensure we have ports of entry that are modern, secure, efficient and reliable; to administer our immigration policy in a manner that supports national priorities of skills acquisition, job creation and inclusive growth; to meet our international obligations with respect to asylum seekers and refugees and thus promoting human dignity and respect for all; and to support our national security in collaboration with the security cluster.
This budget speech takes place against the backdrop of the 19th celebration of the dawn of peace and freedom in our country and the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. Whenever we debate our progress, we should always remember that the freedom we celebrate is a consequence of the sacrifice and heroism of the many millions who contributed to ending the scourge of apartheid. Our work today responds to both the legacy of apartheid and the opportunities that result from freedom. Since 1994, our ANC government has worked hard to ensure Home Affairs restores dignity to all, creates systems for a secure identity, and promotes international friendships. We have also played a full role in supporting government to achieve the outcomes and policies adopted in 2009.
Our budget this financial year is set at R6,7 billion. Our departmental programmes receive R4,8 billion. The Film and Publication Board will receive R82 million. The Electoral Commission will receive R1,6 billion – and members will understand, we have an election, and then they are responsible for party political funding, as well, so it is not they are suddenly richer. The Government Printing Works will receive R134 million.
We will, as we work to implement our programmes, intensify our campaign directed toward developing the National Population Register. This campaign is to create a secure South African citizenship database and a secure identity. I believe we will have succeeded in this when we have birth registration as the only point of entry to our National Population Register. Our priority is to register children within 30 days of birth. We have connected hospitals and other health care centres to our database, and babies can now be registered at the place of birth. We registered 602 530 births in 2012 and intend to expand this number by at least 8% each year. First prize is every child born in our country must be registered within 30 days of birth. We will intensify our outreach campaigns to reach families in our most marginal communities and will work closely with all our stakeholder forums to popularise registration of births. It has not yet become common practice in South Africa for all families to register children at birth. We have to make this a natural part of our community and family life. [Applause.]
We will continue to offer late registration of birth, which is part of the services offered within Home Affairs, but I am proposing that this House agrees that we stop this service in 2015, because it opens us to a lot of abuse, a lot of identity theft, a lot of trafficking of children, and I believe we have to stop this practice. The year 2015 should be our close-out date should the House agree. [Applause.] This year, we introduced on-the-spot, unabridged birth certificate issuing. This is another advance in our objective of a trustworthy National Population Register. The certificate is secure and reliable. It carries the names and identity numbers of both parents. It will help us to eliminate fraud, multiple visits to our offices, the pain of not being able to trace your family tree, and the piling up of paper documents in the department. We have seen some challenges with respect to implementing this particular new, unabridged birth certificate. We find that we are not attending fully to the registration of children born to foreign nationals and, at times, there is reluctance, Mr Mnqasela, among fathers to be included on the unabridged birth certificate. [Interjections.] This is a matter we hope the gentlemen in our country will assist us with to ensure that we do have both parents on the birth certificates of all the children of our country. [Applause.] We will intensify communication and education and improve the systems that we are currently utilising. We want all fathers to accept when they have given rise to children. [Applause.]
We also are proceeding to intensify our activity with respect to the ID registration campaign. We want to have all young people of 16 years and above holding an ID. We want to work together with the Ministry of Basic Education, our community stakeholder forums, and happily the National Youth Development Agency, Nyda, has agreed to join us, as well as many youth formations. They will help us mobilise youth of 16 years and over to apply for identity documents.
For several years, we have been trying to eliminate the holding of duplicate IDs. Since 2009, we have mounted a national campaign in this regard. At that date, we had over 500 000 in circulation in South Africa. We now believe we have a mop-up we must do of around 20 000 duplicate IDs. We have tried to call on citizens to come forward to resolve these duplicate IDs. I now wish to announce that it is my intention to invalidate all duplicate IDs in December this year at the sweep of a pen. [Applause.] All holders of duplicate IDs should approach our offices to seek assistance. We are working very closely with the financial sector organisations to smooth the inconvenience that may result from this invalidation. They fully agree with me that it must be done, because it makes life very difficult for the financial and retail sector in our country.
We are making progress, as well, with creating a paperless environment in Home Affairs. More offices use modern technology. Modernisation, as part of our project, includes live data capture in our offices, e-visa issuing, as well as issuing e-permits. We have the Trusted Traveller Programme, the Enhanced Electronic Movement Control System, which is giving us access to more refined data on persons coming in and leaving our country, the National Identification System, which includes biometric features, and, of course, our wonderful plans for the introduction of the smart ID card. In 2012-13, we allocated R214 million to our information technology, IT, modernisation initiatives. This year, we will provide over R348 million towards this initiative. We must be modern; we must have more technology, if we are to succeed.
We are also working very hard to ensure that we are able to issue the smart ID card in a phased implementation plan from the third quarter of this year, from July 2013. We will begin issuing the smart ID card from 27 Home Affairs regional offices throughout the country. These offices have already been equipped with the capacity for live capture. Over the next three years, we will install live capture in all offices of the Department of Home Affairs. This will enable the department to issue the smart ID card to all South African citizens over the next five to seven years and to finally get rid of the antiquated green ID book. [Applause.] This will be a major step towards creating a reliable National Population Register.
I believe that immigration is one of the areas in which we need a great deal of attention. We have massive growth within it; there is massive opportunity, as well. According to the World Bank Migration and Remittances Unit, in 2010 there were 1,9 million immigrants living in South Africa – about 3,7% of our population, notably from Zimbabwe, at around 859 000, Mozambique, 455 000, and Lesotho, at around 351 000. At the same time, 878 000 South Africans lived overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, which has 226 000 South Africans, Mozambique, 155 000, and Australia, 133 000. Immigrants remitted $720 million out of South Africa, whilst South African emigrants remitted $1,2 billion back into South Africa. Census 2011 provides an update and estimates that now, in 2011, we have around 2,7 million, or 5,7%, of South Africa's 51,7 million people as foreign born persons in our country. I think it's important for us to always remember that global migration is not simply about people moving from one country to another. It's also about money being transferred back to the country of origin. According to the World Bank, migrant remittances have tripled in volume in the last decade. A measure of the size of this is that remittances now dwarf global aid.
I believe unreservedly that immigration needs to be administered effectively but also that immigration into South Africa should be encouraged. We have to compete in a global marketplace for skills. It's something we have not addressed effectively as yet, but the National Development Plan has indicated that we need to do so. As part of our strategy to attract skills, we made 50 000 work permits available for scarce skills, but only 20 673 of these permits were issued in 2011. This means we have not filled that quota. We'll be asking the Immigration Advisory Board to look into this whole area and to reconsider whether the limit we have set is at the right level and whether the processes we are utilising are assisting us to achieve our objectives. I think that we should provide clearer guidance about the numbers and the skills that we need. Our country is one of the most open economies in the world, and we want those with the right skills to come here: the investors, the entrepreneurs who will create the businesses and the jobs of tomorrow, and the scientists who will help South Africa keep its achievements at the heart of the great advances in medicine, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and communications. They merit, I believe, a permit policy that shows we are ready to compete with other countries for global talent. [Applause.]
It is generally acknowledged that South Africa suffers from a shortage of high-level research skills, that is, individuals with doctoral degrees and several years' research experience. We are currently considering a system of four-year to five-year work permits for foreigners who graduate from our universities in critical skills areas, as a means of contributing to development in our country. We also need mathematics and science teachers. They should be given work permits that allow schools and teachers to function in a stable environment. [Applause.] We are currently finalising the regulations for the Immigration Amendment Act, Act 13 of 2011. These will streamline the process of scientists applying for work permits. We will be working with our colleagues in the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Higher Education and Training to assist us in reducing the bottlenecks being experienced in evaluating visa and permit requests for scientists and researchers. The process that we will initiate will be similar to the corporate account status enjoyed by some multinational corporations in accessing permits in our country.
With regard to business, we've increased the opportunities for foreign investors and entrepreneurs. A total of 1 346 visas were issued to entrepreneurs in 2011. We are on track to issue more than that this year. In future, we intend to make it easier for venture capitalists to back entrepreneurs, to back people who are starting small scale businesses that may become the blue-chip businesses of tomorrow. We also plan to increase efficiency in issuing permits to investors in South Africa. Currently, we issue waivers for employees of many multinational corporations. We have had many complaints about delays in issuing permits - we are addressing these concerns. I'm aware that there are many companies that prefer to use staff from their overseas headquarters in their South African businesses.
I wish to indicate that, as government, we do have an obligation to promote job creation and skills development for South Africans, as well. Our immigration policy, therefore, must help us to respond to this particular obligation of government. We want to welcome investment, but we want to see South Africans getting opportunities and being trained to run major corporations, as well. We will be appointing more adjudicators to assist us in managing the backlog in our temporary and permanent residence permit units to ensure speedier processing of applications. I have been very concerned that we have a huge backlog of permanent residence applications. So, we have approved the growth of that unit, in order to ensure that we speed up the process of issuing these permits. I believe if we manage immigration competently, we can attract critical skills to expand the economy and promote trade and investment for job creation and development. We need to be able to compete.
Yet globalisation also brings the risks of transnational crime and terrorism that can undermine the gains we have made under democracy. Competent management of immigration is vital for all our security. We have to do much more to protect our borders and our ports of entry. I am pleased to announce that government has agreed to the phased establishment of a border management agency, BMA. [Interjections.] Finally, indeed. The agency will ensure co-ordination of and co-operation among the departments operating at our points of entry and along our borders. The BMA will be led by the Department of Home Affairs and will involve Sars, the SA National Defence Force, SAPS, The Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Focused attention is being paid by our department to improving the management, capacity, and infrastructure at our ports of entry. Last year, we made over R110 million available for improving infrastructure at our ports of entry. This was done via the Public Works budget. This year, over R130 million is being made available within the Department of Home Affairs budget. We will be able to execute the infrastructure improvement far more speedily. We have equipped a number of our ports of entry with the enhanced movement control system, whilst also ensuring we introduce the advanced passenger processing system for airlines. These are positive developments, but much more still needs to be done to ensure that they work as we want them to. The changes have, I believe, improved the movement of persons and goods through our ports of entry. We are now able to process millions of visitors annually.
We have become a prime tourist destination, as a country, and a venue of choice for hosting large international events. We are proud to have contributed to the hosting of the AU-UN African Conference of Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament, as well as the recent Brics summit of heads of state and government held in Durban. The support provided by Home Affairs was, I believe, excellent.
As part of building our capacity, greater attention will be paid to asylumseekers, the recruitment of migrants with critical skills, and the flow of economic migrants from other Southern African Development Community, SADC, countries. We have begun to address gaps at the level of policy and operations. I think the Deputy Minister will address the matter of the work we are doing with the management of asylumseekers and refugees.
I think one of the urgent areas we must address is to regularise the flow of economic migrants, particularly those from our neighbouring countries in SADC. We are working on an immigration policy paper that will set out our proposals and policy perspectives. We intend to propose the provision of a workseekers' visa or a similar instrument for SADC citizens. We just have to acknowledge that persons come from SADC, looking for work and use the asylum route as a means of acquiring the right to stay in South Africa. We must create an appropriate route for such persons. We also intend to work closely with the SADC countries to address the phenomenon of illegal migration into our country and region. The security risk that this poses to the political and economic stability of our country and region cannot be ignored. However, we must implement such policy within the ambit of the law and the Constitution with due regard to human dignity, development and human security.
One of the priorities that our department has taken up very vigorously is action against crime, fraud and corruption. We are acting in Home Affairs. [Interjections.] Yes, indeed, right! Just two days ago, nine officials were arrested on suspicion of corruption. We support all efforts directed at eradicating corruption. [Applause.] The department's enforcement units, the Inspectorate and Counter Corruption, are combining efforts more effectively and working closely with other law enforcement agencies within the security cluster to act effectively against crime, fraud and corruption.
Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with the top management and other officials of the department, and I've paid visits to various Home Affairs offices across the country, including some ports of entry. As we stand on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the advent of democracy in South Africa, I believe my predecessors have laid a firm foundation for the department to make a meaningful contribution to the socioeconomic development of our country, whilst ensuring a safer and more secure management of our borders and ports of entry. I am sure that the majority of Home Affairs officials are keen to contribute meaningfully towards the achievement of the five national priorities of our government, to the mandate of Home Affairs and the objectives of the National Development Plan.
I have not referred to some of the inadequacies that concern me - the poor responsiveness of our call centre, the delays in effecting changes as requested by clients, the backlogs in asylum management, in permanent residence issuing and temporary residence issuing, and many other problems which we will address as we work with the director-general and his team to create a fully responsive and efficient Department of Home Affairs.
In closing, I wish to thank the Deputy Minister for the always comradely support, intelligent counsel and lots of SMS texts. She loves to send SMSs. [Applause.] Thanks to our director-general for his hard work and support. Thank you, director-general, for the assistance you and your team have given to me in helping me to settle in, and thanks too to all the officials of the department for welcoming me with open arms. I am grateful for the advice and gentle guidance of the chairperson of the portfolio committee and the support we get through the questions of hon De Freitas. [Laughter.] Hon Maggie Maunye and your colleagues, I really wish to thank you for your support and hard work. [Applause.] I hope that all members of this House will support our budget for the 2013-14 financial year. I believe very firmly that working together we can do more to contribute to the creation of a better life for all our people. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mrs M M MAUNYE /Mia / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 14
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-14] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Mrs M M MAUNYE: House Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, comrades and hon members, guests in the gallery, officials of the department. I dedicate my speech to an outstanding, principled and gallant revolutionary, a foot solider of the African National Congress, a cadre who embodies the best traditions of the movement, Comrade Ephrahim Nkwe, who passed on Tuesday. May his soul rest in peace.
May I take this opportunity Minister, to welcome your presentation and clear outline. Indeed the evidence is there for all to see that Home Affairs has turned a corner and weathered storms to have come this far.
Even as we note and celebrate progress we do so conscious of our history, for a nation that abandons its history, abdicates its responsibility to posterity. It is crucial that the nation be told that Home Affairs has not transformed only because of the demands of citizens for urgent and efficient service delivery. The department embarked on this process informed by the mandate that resonates with our constitutional democracy founded on the values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
The truth is that under the apartheid regime, with its Bantustan offspring, the main objective of the Department of Home Affairs was to control black people and deny them their citizenship, identity, dignity and freedom of movement among other injustices.
The ANC through implementing the National Democratic Revolution seeks to ensure that every South African, especially the poor, experiences an improving quality of life. The ANC undertakes to build a developmental state shaped by the history and socioeconomic dynamics of South African society.
Home Affairs plays a decisive role as the backbone of the developmental state and is central to enabling security and service provision. It plays a crucial role in enabling all South Africans to proudly claim their citizenship, their dignity and identity.
I should mention that a developmental state is unable to meet its essential goals without a detailed and secure identification system that incorporates both citizens and non citizens who live, work and or study within its borders. The identification system is crucial to a range of social, economic and cultural activities, and ensures that the state is empowered to organise itself, plan the future and protect its citizens.
One of the pillars of the National Development Plan is the building of a capable developmental state that can play a decisive role both in development and the reduction of poverty. It therefore is encouraging that the department has embarked on a large scale modernisation programme that will enable the state to provide services efficiently and securely. The same systems will produce reliable statics for planning purposes.
We strongly urge the department, not only to be vigilant in supply chain management in the roll out of this programme and its other infrastructure development projects still in the pipeline, but to through such projects respond to the challenge of underdevelopment and unemployment.
We are aware of the efforts the administration and leadership of the department have undertaken to fight against fraud and corruption. We in this regard strongly urge the department to be resolute and robust in implementing its strategies to prevent and combat fraud and corruption. It remains our conviction that more effort should be put into developing the qualified and versatile cadre as a means to improving service provision.
We are less inclined to agree with the department's plan to solicit more consultants in relation to the modernisation programme one referred to before. A developmental state should increase its capacity and not rely on external skills to discharge its mandate. The intention to retain the quantity of its staff establishment in the face of rising unemployment also does not reflect commitment to expedite the process of filling all vacant funded posts.
The integrity of our National Population Register is at the heart of ensuring that all people in South Africa are and feel safe. The National Population Register, NPR, vulnerabilities are a matter of common concern due to factors such as late application for Identity Documents and failure by some applicants to promptly collect their ID books. This offers an opportunity for unscrupulous elements in the department to sell such documentation to ill-intentioned persons who after procuring such documents employ them in undertaking illicit activities.
We therefore support the campaign for a single entry point into the National Population Register and registration of child births within 30 days. We call upon parents to ensure the success of this initiative and for the department to expedite the connection of all hospitals to the online registration portal. We are conscious of cultural and customary challenges that face some parents and therefore we encourage all South Africans to partner Home Affairs through active participation in Stakeholder Forums. These forums are being rolled out all over the country to deepen public participation in the provision of services and public goods. We must add our support for the unabridged birth certificate in this regard.
The compliance of the department with the law regulating financial matters needs to be strengthened. We are encouraged by the fact that most audit findings have been addressed by the department.
We urge the department to implement effective controls to prevent irregular expenditure and ensure to comply with the legislative requirement to make payments within 30 days.
The performance of the three entities under the department is encouraging. Specific mention deserved to be made of the work of the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, which has attracted both regional and international recognition in the form of awards received by the IEC, amongst those being the United Nations Public Service Awards in the category Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service. Indeed our democracy gets more and more secure due to the work of the IEC in delivering free and fair elections and fostering co-operation between political parties, and other election candidates. [Applause.]
The Film and Publication Board continues to protect children from harmful content and to standardise film and publication information prepared for public viewership within its capacity. The state has to intervene when necessary to curtail the right to freedom of expression if the exercise of such freedom adversely affects bearers of other rights, especially the right to human dignity. In the same vein, the state has a duty to ensure secure printing of government information and other related information. In this regard the Government Printing Works with limited and dated equipment continues to execute its tasks to realise its objectives. We therefore welcome the decision to migrate the entity to a more appropriate facility.
Movement of people in and out of the country is inalienable to trade operations, economic growth and development. Immigration and border management continue to be critical to balancing security and development interests. The Border Management Agency should thus be strengthened and the department should play a crucial role in its strategies and operations to ensure that only the appropriately documented find their way into the country. Again we call on the strengthening of border patrol to eliminate illegal entries into the country.
The department should also strengthen its management of asylumseekers. There should be strict adherence to international conventions and protocols in processing of applications for asylumseekers and more should be done to limit fraudulent regularisation of stay by asylumseekers especially by means of bogus marriages and or procreation. With regards to economic migrants, the department must ensure the proper documentation and registration of economic migrants.
It is incumbent upon all South Africans to ensure the integrity of our National Population Register through timeous registration of births and application and prompt collection of IDs.
The roll out of the smart ID card is a ground breaking development and the department must be congratulated on this important development. [Applause.] The process should be rolled out on a pilot project basis in phases.
The Department of Home Affairs is the backbone of the developmental state we are building and it is a pillar of service provision and security. Possession of an enabling document is indeed a gateway to all forms of social wage, thus officials should be educated to respect this right that accrues to citizens and others who are eligible.
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Thank you, Chairperson
Mr M S F DE FREITAS /Mohau / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 15
Mrs M M MAUNYE
Mr M S F DE FREITAS: Hon Chair, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members and colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, before I discuss the Department of Home Affairs, I would like to comment on the entities that fall under its custodianship. The Electoral Commission continues to be devoid of scandals and political intrigue that have become so common within government. It is run professionally and efficiently. As I stated last year, the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, does not allow itself to be bullied by any political party, irrespective of size, big or small. As a result it is respected all around both locally and internationally and to an extend that other countries with longer and more established democracies seek its guidance and advice. Again, I repeat, as I said last year, we can only puff out our chests with pride when we talk about them. Thank you IEC for making South Africa proud. [Applause.]
The Film and Publications Board, FPB, has done well in full filing its mandate despite its strange shenanigans with The Spear painting of last year and it has worked hard at improving its past successes. The FPB has filled a number of key posts as a result of more than double the number of products has been classified in the 2012-13 financial year compared to that of 2011-12.
The Government Printing Works, GPW, is truly a prime example of how an entity should operate. So much so, that it has reached a point that is completely self sufficient. This entity should have provided other similar entities in this government an inside into how it works, so that they too can emulate what the GPW does so successfully.
Now let's turn to the Department of Home Affairs; it is clear to me that the department appears to be riding on its past success where nothing new or exciting to report this year, as the Minister has told us today. This may explain that despite that the Minister being appointed a political head of this department in October last year, she has not once attended or formerly met the members of the portfolio committee.
The Minister has claimed that the department supports the National Development Plan, NDP; but if this is the case how is it that is she monitoring the objectives within this plan and how are they been met by the Department of Home Affairs. Minister, your predecessor publicly stated on radio that citizens will be voting using their new identity document, ID, cards in the general elections next year. Is this deadline going to happen or is this target not yet been fulfilled and going to be moved? Well, from what you told us today you have confirmed that this deadline has been postponed.
Since 2009, the department has not published a list of scarce and critical skills, as it is required to do so in the Emigration Act. The Minister replied in a written question that the department intends to publish a list in the near future. Hon Minister, when will the list of the scarce and critical skills be published?
A total of 6 217 quota permits' have been issued up until 5 March 2013. The target set by the department is 50 000. We clearly have a long way to go. Now it remains a mystery as to how this department will reach its own targets and by when particular considering that this also meets the objective listed in the NDP.
To make this an even greater mystery, the Minister has indicated that the "Track and trace system is not currently able to capture jobs and skills specific criteria for work permit applications". How then will we know which skills we need to import?
The department has spent an excess of R46 million on legal fees in the financial year. There appears to be no sign of this abating as the department continues to be taken to courts for administrative failures and of errors and not respecting its own legislation. Court orders are routinely not respected.
Despite the courts being clear about the opening of Refugee Reception Centres, the department simply ignores court orders and refuses to reopen them. The solution we are told by the department is that centres will be opened at land border posts. The plan appears to ignore air and sea ports.
The government cannot ignore the fact that South Africa is the safe haven for asylum seekers and refugees living conflict zones in search of a better, safer life. Instead of ignoring this issue, we must tackle it head on out and take our human rights based approach to handle asylum seekers and refugees.
I am interested in the Minister's announcement of the Border Agency. A leaked document that I have in my possession reveals that the department has an extraordinary plan to introduce refugee camps, where people previously called asylum seekers, will instead be referred to as refugees. This means that it's not just about detaining asylum seekers during the status determination process, but keeping refugees in camp facilities. The Refugees Act empowers the director-general to establish a reception office. There is no empowerment provision to establish refugee camps. The fact that the camp policy is much costlier than the current system, and requires minimal government support for asylum seekers or refugees, seems to have escaped the authors of this proposal. We need to know exactly what the plans are in this regard and does this new Border Agency incorporate this?
I have previously presented to this House on April 2012 Public Protector Report entitled "Unconsciously Delay" which highlights abusive power in administration. This strait forward application remains pending despite recommendations' by the Public Protector that it be approved. Instead it is an indictment of the department. The department officials simply refuse to grant this and many other applications because it appears that it is their egos and not the law that is been respected.
Sadly, it gets worse as this department and its officials sometimes forget the impact that it has on real people's lives. Take for example the letter I received in March, from someone in the Eastern Cape, without quoting a person's name quoted as follows:
The person underlined here is an indigenous South African of this country is very painful to see her being humiliated and used to a nil dignity to be made less than sub-human being humiliated and reduced by a public officer who refuses to issue an ID, to her despite any declarations and public affidavits made by family members to ascertain her to be a born and bred in South Africa, Colesburg.
She applied for an ID on 15 February 2012, but to date this has not been issued to her. In terms of section 20 of the Bill of Rights, she is entitled to this document she was born in 1964, in Colesburg. As we currently speak she does not have access to employment, health care and social leave grant, no community benefits, no right of whatever nature are considered to her because she is treated as an outcast and a foreigner.
Further down the letter it talks about home affairs officials as follows:
It might happen to many people who opt to keep quiet about such officials who undermine people just because of their poor background and position. He thinks that he is above the law and with the superiority complex in bullying others. Never on earth can and ID application takes such a long time.
There are still incidences of people being abused by the Department of Home Affairs officials, despite the many improvements that the Minister indeed has spoken about. I advise the Minister to read the regular feature in the Daily Sun newspaper called, "Home Affairs Horrors" to understand impact of poor service delivery by her department on ordinary South Africans.
Now the abuse does not stop here, it is now reaching to other areas. The recent high profile Guptagate saga is another example. Clearly the government is working hard to create a perception that it did not condone this major breach of security that opposes this violation that took place at the end of April. At a media conference only on Friday, all the Ministers which included the Minister of Home Affairs stressed that no executive authority was granted for the plane to land. Now if this is the case, how is it that according to home affairs itself, all 270 passengers and 12 crew members on the plane in question have been processed through immigration?
Adv T M MASUTHA: On a point of order! If I may Chairperson, there is a Rule against pre-emption. My understanding is that, that particular subject matter has been put on the table. So, my understanding is that the matter is under matters that are due to be debated.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, you are correct in that there is a Rule, but unfortunately that Rule does not apply in this instance. It is a matter for a debate at the moment and as soon as that Report is formally tabled in Parliament of course, then the Rule will apply. You may continue hon member. [Applause.]
Mr M S F DE FREITAS: If indeed permission have been granted for this aircraft to land, how is that officials were on hand to process this entire people at Waterkloof? Exactly how were they processed and how was all the documentation for non-South Africans coming into the country verified as true accurate and not fake? According to Home Affairs, all passengers were indeed verified as correct and meeting all required legislation.
It appears that the Department of Home Affairs was very well prepared for the receipt of passengers from the aeroplane that government claims had not been granted permission to land at that base. The feeble attempts by government in spinning the tall story is not holding waters and the public won't be fooled that easily. If indeed permission had not been granted for this plane not to land then it will be logical that resources from the Department of Home affairs would not be at hand to process passengers. According to the Department of Home Affairs it was indeed present and successfully administered all the passengers. Government speaks with the forked tongue as it makes claims on one side but actions demonstrate another. The spin and actual series of events simply do not add up. The Home Affairs Department simply needs to come out and admits that it looks after those close to the President and the ANC, even if it means posing security risks to South Africa and breaking its laws as it did in this case.
Now hon Minister, you owe South Africa an explanation. South Africans demands answers to all these questions and you Minister must be held to account.
This leads me to other forms of corruption which continues to be rife within the department. It extends from the lowest levels right to the top. The Auditor–General found that the department had mismanaged procurement and contracts by awarding them incorrectly and not following tender procedures. The bottom line is that little is being done to fight corruption as the results speak for themselves and that it is the level of corruption that has not decreased.
Now, I too dream that we will soon reach that stage where South Africans will reach a level where we will have a quick, efficient and effective service from our Home Affairs Department - when any experience in this department will be a pleasant, courteous and corruption-free one. It is a goal well worth working towards. We are here to assist in realising this dream. Minister, tackling this issues I have mentioned today, would go a long way in realising this. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr G P D MCINTOSH / AZM MNGINI/ END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 16
Mr M S F DE FREITAS
Mr G B D MC INTOSH: Thank you Chairperson. Welcome to the new Minister. She has a soft landing. She is a very competent Deputy Minister and she has a top fleet of very efficient hardworking committed officials. I am pleased she has recognised that. She has been there before. [Applause.]
I must congratulate the Minister on her fresh approach on the quest of migration. The migration of people around the world goes on all the time. Therefore, I think it is important for us to get in step with global trends, in effect, to be a leader. I am delighted of her vision for bringing in skills on entrepreneurship. An immigrant or people who come to South Africa, in a sense are coming to the United States of Southern Africa, just as in the United State, there has been madness of people looking for a better life, and we are too. I do not think we must resent that. However, we must manage it.
My concern with what the Minister said in other elements is that she did not mention what I think is the most powerful tool, that our department have not used very effectively, Home Affairs National Identification System, HANIS, which is our fingerprints recoding system. That I believe is the best idea because everybody has one fingerprint. In that regard, I believe the Minister can really make a lot of good progress. On the question of getting away from what we use to call "Ndabazabantu,"[Home Affairs] where people had to make queues, frankly, Chairperson, sometimes it is happily much better, while sometimes you think we are back in the "Ndabazabantu,".
I had a call from a friend in Ladysmith, Mr Mxolisi Khumalo, who said, I am standing in a queue here in the Department of Home Affairs and there is only one person at the counter. What can I do? I tried to phone the Ladysmith office and there was no reply. I phone the Pietermaritzburg office with the number I have from 1023, and still there was no reply. You have said that well now, you are aware of that. However, I think we have to look at a better queue management, a better call centre with constant monitoring.
It is typical in the private sector, when you find a DSTV query about something; they immediately phone you back to say, and how was your experience? How did it go? I believe Home Affairs can get there and make a huge progress with their branding etc. However, the question that I want to deal with is Question 239; perhaps they could have given a good answer on refugees and other elements. My concern from the given reply is that, for an example in Bangladesh, we have 3000 people who have work permits while we have 26000 who are asylumseekers from Bangladesh. Now, I do not know why that is necessary. What could we expect with a person from Somalia, because it is a country of a nightmare? However, it is settling down, hopefully, the Somalis will be able to go home. I believe that the department also has to look at the Chinese situation; every town in South Africa has not one, but more and more Chinese shops. Okay, they are welcome. They are good traders. I think they are honest people who pay their taxes. However, I think we should look into their situation.
The other issue is, in reply to this question, the department said there are no bilateral agreements with any country .I understand what we are trying to do in SADC; we are trying to do an intergovernmental thing. However, I believe it is important that we have bilateral agreement with countries like Bangladesh, China and Pakistan where we have many people who are asylumseekers and are here for a better life.
Chairperson, from a Home Affairs perspective, the arrival of 200 people at the Waterkloof Military Airbase, who apparently had to attend the Gupta wedding, was not just an embarrassment; it was a complete undermining of our immigration and customs laws and illegal. The Gupta guests flagrantly break the law, but you, Hon Minister, brush it aside and go off to enjoy the wedding. Now what I think you should have done - actually, I thought to myself maybe you felt like you visit the old Bophuthatswana, but what sort of example is that to your hardworking immigration officials at our border posts? Do you have to enforce the law, work hard? No, Chairperson, if the Minister wanted to build morale, discipline and respect and be a champion in his department, he should have announced that, under the circumstances, you, as Minister of Home Affairs, could not in good conscience be present at that wedding, and then you would have cheers from your department. The question about our Border Management Agency is a very serious matter. This is the lead department and the Border Management Agency could become an enormous part of government. I believe the department should look at it very carefully. We have just now appointed two loyal communists as the Minister of Public Works, and his Deputy, another velvet communist. [Laughter.] These chaps do work hard. Chairperson, I really...
Ms P N DANIELS: Order! Chairperson.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, while you take your seat. What is your Point of Order hon member?
Ms P N DANIELS: Chair, I think the hon member is out of order. There is no member within the Chamber of Parliament that comes from the communist party. [Laughter.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Order! Order! Continue hon member.
Mr G B D MC INTOSH: Thank you Chairperson. Chairperson, the point is I want to urge the Minister. She has mentioned that her department is developing a capacity in addition to or parallel with the Department of Public Works. [Interjections.] Well, it was going to do the construction of your border posts. Thanks to you, that is good because I think the Department of Public Works has an institutional memory. It has been building public buildings and public facilities for over a hundred years in South Africa, and they therefore should be utilised particularly if they are going to get better management under the new Ministers for the department. Madam Chair, could I also ask the Minister, if ... [Laughter.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Order hon members! Let us allow the member to express himself. [Laughter.]
Mr G B D MC INTOSH: You might make a pretty Chairlady. [Laughter.] If Cuba had an Independent Electoral Commission, the majority of South Africans will be more comfortable with using them in the Department of Home Affairs, DHA. I want to ask the Minister, is she going to carry on using Cubans in a high security department like the Department of Home Affairs? I certainly hope not. Chairperson, the Government Printing Works is a little jewel in the crown of government, not a big jewel but it paved its own way and it is going to handle cards. I was very encouraged to hear that as a result of good procurement ... [Time expired.],[Applause.]
Ms N A MNISI/ C.I / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 17
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-17] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Mr G B D MC INTOSH
Ms N A MNISI: Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, hon members, esteemed guests in the gallery, one of the key mandates of the Department of Home Affairs is to regulate and facilitate immigration and to enforce the Immigration Act. In this regard, no person can legally enter South Africa unless cleared by an immigration official, whether they seek to enter by land, sea or air. Within this mandate resorts the regulation of the asylum seekers and the granting of the refugee status in terms of international protocol which South Africa is signatory to.
Immigration impacts strongly on our security, economic, social and cultural development. The creation of decent work depends on trade and tourism and the flow of skills and knowledge, all of which is impossible without the movement of the people. A better and a safer life for all South Africans is only possible if we were integrated into global community and if we develop together with our region.
The ANC and the mass of our people have always stood together against racism and embraced internationalism and a sense of belonging to humanity. However, we must be vigilant and defend our state, our people and our independence. A well-managed immigration system is therefore crucial in achieving our national objectives. Thus the second leg of the aim of the department is the regulation of immigration to ensure security and promote development.
Hon Chair, the mandate of the Department of Home Affairs in terms of immigration, includes the facilitation of the legal entry and departure of all persons into and out of the republic through designated ports of entry. The department has also ensured that foreigners entering the country sojourn and reside consummate to terms and conditions of their permits.
The department has the obligation to track, trace, investigate and deport foreigners who have become illegal or violated the immigration legislation of the country. As the programme of the department, immigration affairs endeavours to maintain service delivery for enabling documents while improving on the percentage of application process within a specific period. In this regard, it aims at increasing the issuing of permanent resident permit from 50% to 70% in 2015-16.
According to the estimates of national expenditure, the spending focus over the medium term will be on facilitating the importation of critical skills into South Africa and improving access to and the smooth facilitation of traveller's movement and land ports of entry. This is aimed at contributing to the development of a risk-based approach to immigration which maximise benefit and minimise risks for the country. It is also worth noting that the spending focus will also be on ensuring that the Lindela Repatriation Centre complies with the highest applicable human rights standards in line with the Constitution and the Immigration Act and the transportation of people found illegal in South Africa is carried out speedily.
Our approach to immigration must ensure a balance between the promotion of security and socio-economic development, job creation and trade investment in South Africa within the SADC region, the continent and the rest of the world. No matter how pedantic but the point has to be made again that South Africa cannot survive as a small enclave surrounded by sea of poverty and severe underdevelopment. South Africa must be built in a better Africa and a better world.
The ANC-led government has the obligation to balance the need for economic, cultural and social development of the country against its security needs and the integrity of our state and society. Security has to include but not been limited to the security of the country, communities and each one of us, including the immigrant communities who are part of South Africa. Social cohesion includes the integration of immigrant communities into South African lives.
South Africa is the signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol which has subsequently been indigenised in the Refugee Act of 1998. Accordingly a refugee is someone who is persecuted or has a well founded fear of persecution that forces him or her to seek refugee in another state. South Africa continues to receive large numbers of asylum seekers mostly from SADC region and the rest of Africa.
According to the estimates of national expenditure, the spending focus in the medium term will also be aimed at implementing effective and efficient asylum and refugee management strategies and system such as the development of framework to guide the establishment of strategically located refugee researching centres. Statistics demonstrate however that more than 95% of those claiming asylum in South Africa are not genuine asylum seekers but...
IsiZulu:
...abantu abazozifunela amathuba emisebenzi namathuba amabhizinisi. Kuyaziwa ukuthi laba bahlobo bethu bavunyelwe ukuba baziphilise ngenkathi besalinde izimpendulo zezicelo zabo. Abanye-ke babe sebezibonela amathuba okuthi ukuze bamukeleke eNingizimu Afrika, kufanele okungenani bashade nabantu baseNingizimu Afrika; okuyimishado engekho emthethweni. [Ubuwelewele.] Bazizamele nezitifiketi zokuzalwa ezingekho emthethweni. Abanye babo baze bazale izingane nabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, babe bezingane lapha eNingizimu Afrika.
English:
Hon Chair, the above-mentioned challenges called for new measures in response to thereto. South Africa must take steps to be able to refuse asylum and asylum seekers who have transited through one or more safe countries. The UN convention on asylum seekers provides for the First Safe Country Principle which states that an asylum seeker should seek refuge in the first safe country that he or she reaches. In this regard, South Africa should exercise its right to granting refugee status to asylum seekers who have travelled through safe countries.
IsiZulu:
Njengoba sazi ukuthi abanye basuka emazweni akude, badlule wonke lawa amanye amazwe aphephile, beze la eNingizimu Afrika, bazobhaca la.
English:
It is crucial that systems be put in place effectively and efficiently manage economic migrant. We all should not forget that there are strong historical flows of labour between certain southern African countries and South Africa. Historically, labour from various countries in this continent contributed in building the wealth of this country. The truth of the matter is that, no where in the world should a country with a stronger economy could... The ANC supports the Budget, thank you. [Time Expired.]
Ms H N MAKHUBA / LN / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 18
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,13 May 2013,"Take 18 [Old Assembly Main].doc"
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-18] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
N A MNISI
Ms H N MAKHUBA: Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Ministers present, hon members, the Department of Home Affairs is very close to the heart of the IFP because of our leader's 10-year successful Ministry thereof. ... [Interjections.] ... Thulani nilalewle! [Keep quiet and listen!] As such we clearly understand the challenges that the Minister faces and we appreciate her successes, but also lament the department's shortcomings.
We strongly believe that by working together we can more readily achieve our common goal, which is the effective service delivery to the citizenry of South Africa.
There have been many improvements since the launch of the National Population Registration Campaign, which was in 2010-11, especially regarding the registration of the childbirths. We are pleased that the number of children registered within 30 days of birth has increased, as this will assist our citizens in accessing benefits for their children from government.
Hospital connectivity has played a very important role in the early registration of births, as mothers are now able to register their babies at the hospital or clinic where they have given birth. The promise to have more hospitals and clinics connected is welcomed.
Late registration of birth is a crime for which parents of the child should be prosecuted. At this day and age, no South African child should reach the age of 18 without a birth certificate. It is a right of every child to have their birth registered immediately. It is commendable that the figures of late registrations are decreasing.
First issue of identity documents has increased and the re-issue of IDs has decreased. I think this is due to the amount charged by the department on the re-issue of an ID. This is evidenced by citizens, now valuing their IDs and keeping them safe.
We have also noted that the number of duplicate IDs in circulation has decreased. We hope the department will continue to work on this, as they create serious problems when people apply for grants, death certificates and other legal documents, but we welcome the comment by the Minister that there will be invalidating of all these.
The previous Minister in June 2012 promised that the smart ID cards were to be rolled out within 18 months. We hope it will still be rolled out as stated, which is by December 2013 as the smart ID cards will greatly reduce the ID fraud. We are also happy that the Minister has stated that this will commence in July 2013.
We have an obligation as a country to scrutinise all applications received from asylumseekers and refugees who seek refuge within our borders. We also have a right to turn down those that are not eligible in terms of our existing legislation. We must have measures in place to be able to identify who is an economic migrant and who is an asylumseeker. The department promised a turnaround time of three months on new applications. We will closely monitor this.
Government Printing Works is an entity that is responsible for printing our security documents, like our passports and identity documents. It's important that the efficiency and accuracy of reporting and management of GPW is continually improved. In this regard their new modernised facility with advanced information technology systems, which will be completed by 2014, is also welcomed.
Madam Minister, you are well aware that there is a need for South African citizens who wish to visit the UK, for whatever reasons, to apply for UK visas. This came about when Her Majesty's government indicated that the issuance of South African passports was fraught with fraud and corruption. We would like to be informed if there is any progress made in ensuring credibility of our systems so that discussions can take place with the UK government to waiver the requirement for South African citizens to apply for a UK visa.
We strongly support the Film and Publication Board's mission to ensure efficient and effective consumer protection through regulation of media content, whilst empowering the public, especially children, through robust information sharing. Working together with other partnerships, such as SA Police Service, and child protection unit in trying to combat child pornography must be encouraged. The work of the FPB to create a safe and secure environment for children is greatly appreciated.
The IFP supports the Budget Vote. [Applause]
Mrs T M A GASEBONWE/ MALUTA ///tfm/// END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 19
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 May 2013,"Take 19 [Old Assembly Main].doc"
Ms H N MAKHUBA
Mrs T M A GASEBONWE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Ministers, hon members and guests, it is one of the key features of an interventionist sate that it creates strategic and technical capacity within itself to be able to respond to the needs of the public. The state does not only intervene to render conditions conducive for economic purposes like foreign and local investment, but also induce economic growth and employment creation. There are strategic tasks that require the government to participate in their performance against the direction of the market forces of demand and supply to ensure the protection of the fundamental human rights of citizens.
In this regard, our Constitution entrenches the right to universal adult suffrage, the right to access to information and the right to freedom of speech. I will talk about three of our government's entities whose strategic mandate is to ensure that citizens enjoy the rights I have just alluded to.
One of the pillars of our democracy is the constitutional value of universal adult suffrage, a national common voters' roll and regular elections. Over the years the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, has ascertained that our elections are indeed free and fair. Citizens continue to vote for their preferred candidates and preferred political parties secretly and without any reasonable apprehension of harm or bias. In this regard, the IEC has ensured that the voting results are credible. As a consequence since the dawn of our democracy we have had administrations changing in all the three spheres of government without any sociopolitical tension or upheaval caused.
More than just it being a stabilising agent in our country, the IEC has proceeded to do the same when called upon in many parts of the African continent and abroad.
The commission therefore purposes to promote the acceptance of and adherence to democratic electoral principles nationally. It also seeks to position itself as a continuously improving organisation and also promoting the acceptance and adherence to democratic electoral principles internationally. We congratulate the IEC for receiving local, regional and international awards for the progress made in managing elections.
The Government Printing Works contributes to, among others, creating a safer South Africa through executing secured printing for the state. It contributes towards an efficient, effective and development-oriented public service and an empowered fair and inclusive citizenship.
As a state mandated security printer underpinned by the values of reliability, integrity, accuracy and stakeholder satisfaction, the Government Printing Works strives to provide cost-effective, reliable and timeous service in security printing to all spheres of government and to disseminate government information through technology, innovation and service excellence.
As the current building is not suitable for the development of a secure printing facility, and the current multilevel building is also not conducive to production efficiency, the Government Printing Works, GPW, seeks to occupy functional and secure facilities. This will enhance national security and limit identity economic fraud while contributing to ensure secure documents and immigration issues. In order to improve efficiency and enable cost-effective production, the state requires continuous improvement and innovation of security of documents therefore relying on the most advanced equipment and technology. In this regard the GPW aims at acquiring modern production equipment to satisfy all state security printing requirements.
It is necessary to ensure that financial resources are managed in accordance with legislation and sound financial management practices to contribute towards financial sustainability. Therefore, GPW aims at providing quality financial and supply chain management services in compliance with legislation and with clients' needs to contribute towards financial sustainability.
We are encouraged by the fact that for the third year in succession, the GPW obtained an unqualified audit for the 2011-12 financial year. This confirms its position as a government-owned entity running on sound business principles with all its operations financed through revenue it generates by means of the services provided.
The Film and Publication Board is underpinned by the protection of children from early exposure to adult material and use in child pornography productions. It provides consumer advice on media content and designated areas for distribution of adult material. The board therefore ensures efficient and effective protection of children against exposure to undesirable media and entertainment content through enforcement of monitoring of industry, ensuring that there is adherence to classifications imposed by the Film and Publication Board, FPB, by industry and society in general.
You must keep quiet and listen. We are also encouraged by the fact that the FPB received an unqualified audit opinion and achieved 90% of its overall annual targets. However, we note and call for speedy intervention as a response to the challenges of limited information technology, IT, capacity and ageing IT infrastructure, high vacancy rate due to migration of FPB structure to new turnaround structure and limited capacity to regulate new media platforms like game applications. The other concern is with regard to cybercrime.
Without a shadow of a doubt the performance of these government-owned and government-managed entities rebut the presumption that government participation in business and other sectors should be as minimalistic as it is possible. It is irrefutable that these entities run by the ANC-led government are operating on sound business principle in line with a responsive, transparent and accountable government. The work done by the entities continues to strengthen the case for more than for less government intervention.
The awards won by the IEC demonstrate beyond any shadow of doubt that South Africa leads the world when it comes to running free and fair elections. The work of the GPW continues to secure the identity and other valuable information of our people and ensure the secured dispatching of official information, all subjects and affected stakeholders.
In the same vein, the FBP has ensured that suitable information reaches appropriate recipients and in so doing secured children against improper information. It should be noted that the FPB discharges its responsibility without resorting to undue censure and thus does not offend against the right of access to information provided for by the Constitution, but rather justifiable and reasonably limits the right as per section 36 of the Constitution to serve a legitimate government purpose.
It is from that informed perspective that we unreservedly support the budget allocated to these entities to execute their programmes. Re a leboga, siyabonga [We thank you.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS / NN / GC / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 20
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-20] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Mrs T M A GASEBONWE
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Hon Members, I rise to support the Minister in her address to this chamber today, and will in my address concern myself with the issue of asylum seeker management, the work of the Films and Publications Board, FPB, and legal services of the department.
Some of you may know that the Iziko Museum is hosting a wonderful exhibition on the life of the great Oliver Tambo. Those of you who have not been to view this exhibition should do yourselves a favour by doing so. It documents the life and times of one of our foremost leaders who spent over thirty years of his life as a refugee.
In a nutshell, it is our commitment to make our system of asylum management better able to meet the needs of genuine refugees and to prevent and eventually to eradicate the abuse of the refugee regime mainly by unskilled work seekers, but also elements that mean harm to our country and people.
The Minister has mentioned in her speech some of the plans in regard to Southern African Development Community, SADC, nationals and this will certainly allow for better management of immigrants from these countries and free up capacity in our asylum centres which can be directed to better service and integrating genuine refugees.
This is the long term vision. In the coming year, we will concentrate on developing better synergies between the Refugee Status Determination Officers, RSDO's, the Refugee Appeals Board and Standing Committee on Refugee Affairs, SCRA, in our centres. In our ongoing efforts to curb rampant bribery and corruption in our refugee centres, we will introduce new high security permits for refugees or asylum seekers.
Permits will be printed on paper manufactured only for the department and will contain a series of security features such as barcodes and watermarks. Any attempt to tamper with personalized details on such a permit will immediately discolour the document.
We will introduce a track-and-trace capability to monitor the processing of asylum seeker applications at all our centres. This will give asylum applicants information on their cellphones and keep them abreast of the progress made in processing their applications. It will also facilitate good management practices and give managers immediate access to information on backlogs and other vital data.
Coming now to what we are able to report as our achievements in the last twelve months: Firstly, we have implemented an agreement concluded with the major banks enabling them to perform online verification of the identities of refugees and asylum seekers. This will enable these categories of people to access financial services while awaiting adjudication in our country.
We implemented a fast-track system firstly at the Durban Refugee Reception Centre, and are doing likewise in Musina and Pretoria. Our preliminary findings indicate very positive trends in that the numbers of asylum seeker applications have decreased quite dramatically particularly in the Durban office.
We are pleased to announce an overall decrease in the number of asylum seekers who have come in to our centres throughout the country this year. In 2010 we received a total of 185 900 applications for asylum. In 2011, this figure dropped to 87 020, and last year the figure reduced further to 85 058.
I must emphasise that we are not making it more difficult to apply for asylum in South Africa as some are now suggesting. In fact, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of refugee applications being granted in our centres where the asylum seeker numbers have reduced. This is a positive sign and we believe that the absence of huge throngs actually creates conducive environment and atmosphere for those persons who are genuinely in need of humanitarian assistance.
All indications are that this year, barring, touchwood, the outbreak of war, or any other catastrophic occurrence on the continent and our region, we are set to see further reductions in the number of asylum seekers.
Thus, when we stood here in this chamber and spoke about South Africa being the world's largest recipient of asylum seekers, we are now reporting to the House that the situation in South Africa is rapidly normalizing.
So these developments should remind us all, once again, that South Africa is not an island; that our fortunes as a country are inextricably linked with the fortunes of our brethren on the continent. [Applause.] As has been said by former Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki as well as President Jacob Zuma on so many occasions, South Africans cannot dream of peace, prosperity, and a better life, without dreaming that same dream for the rest of Africa. [Applause.]
We therefore welcome the recommendation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, to end the refugee status of certain exiled Angolans in 2011. This is good news for us and the continent. The UNHCR has noted that circumstances in Angola have changed significantly, to the extent that it is no longer a refugee-producing country. Angola is a country that has decisively put its past behind it and is notching up some impressive developmental statistics. It is one of the fastest growing economies on the continent. Its GDP growth projected to be in the region of 7% cent. It is a country attracting good deal of foreign investment. The human development index in regard to health education and income shows that Angola has since 2006 performed above the regional average and, it a rapidly growing tourist destination.
Speaker last week, Cabinet declared its support for the proposal made by the UNHCR that all refugees who sought refuge in South Africa on the basis of the Angolan Civil War will be capable of initiating durable solutions by relinquishing their status as refugees.
Refugee status is not meant to be a permanent situation. This is why all of the international instruments governing refugee matters refer to cessation in circumstances where significant changes have occurred which allow people who previously fled under threat of persecution to return to their home countries. I do not need to remind the House and hon members here that the same situation pertained in South Africa with the unbanning of the ANC. Many hundreds of people who were in exile returned home to their country of birth to help rebuild our beloved country.
Angolan refugees who have some of those dreams of a homeland that will forever be a place of peace and prosperity are now urged to return to their motherland and help in the effort to reconstruct that country into a regional and continental place of pride; where people abide by the rule of law and where there is peace and prosperity for all. The UNHCR, the Angolan Government and us, have in principle agreed to assist those who are still here and who wish to voluntarily return to Angola.
For those who wish to continue staying in South Africa, we will be introducing an option for such persons to apply for temporary or permanent residence visas upon obtaining their Angolan passports from their embassy in South Africa. We shall within the next few days be announcing the location of help desks and the deadlines within which such applications may be made during this window of opportunity. We therefore wish to urge those who wish to take advantage of this option to obtain their Angolan passports as soon as possible.
Hon Members will be aware that in terms of the Refugees Act, the Standing Committee on Refugee Affairs has the power to revoke anyone's refugee status at any time. In declaring its support for the UNHCR's recommendation with regards to Angolan refugees, the South African government has not only signalled its support for an end to the refugee-producing status of Angola, but we have given those affected persons a window of opportunity for durable solutions to their status.
The last option available to such refugees, whose status may be the subject of review by SCRA, will be to apply to the standing committee for an exemption from cessation regime. This category of persons will then, if granted the exemption, remain refugees in this country until the SCRA determines otherwise.
I am now coming into the Films and Publications Board items. We were in Bredasdorp recently where I was able to personally deliver the ID of a brother to the hon Leonard Max amongst other persons. We wanted to thank him personally for the wonderful letter that he sent to the Minister but he is not here unfortunately. I hope people will convey that to him. May I suggest hon De Freitas that you have a copy of this so that next year when you deliver your speech we are able to take what you said this year, as we have done this year with the speech that you delivered last year. [Applause.]
We were in Bredasdorp recently with the FPB on an outreach programme and we were very privileged to meet Chrisna Junios. Chrisna was generous enough to share her story with us and has given me permission to share it with all of you. The reason we wanted to speak about her experience it is because it says so much about the worth of the FPB and the work that it does.
A few years ago, Chrisna's marriage was on the rocks and she was emotionally in a very bad place. Desperately she turned to social media and befriended a person online and they began communicating and eventually built a friendship. Unfortunately, the marriage problems got worse and she suffered what is commonly called a nervous breakdown. She was admitted to hospital. Upon discharge she accepted a lift home from her cyber friend she had continued communicating with throughout the process. Sad to say, she never arrived home. She was kidnapped. She had to endure torture and degradation at the hands of her kidnappers. She had to endure forced feeding of drugs. She suffered sexual assault numerous times.
She was finally rescued after 13 months in captivity. No one can imagine the strength that it took to recover from this horrible experience. Chrisna is with us today as a guest of the department. She is joined by her new husband, Mr Neno Junios, who are up in the gallery. Please stand... [Applause.] ...you are both very welcome here today.
Chrisna's experience is a vivid reminder to all of us all that while the cyber world has revolutionised our lives, we should never imagine it is without peril to ourselves and our children.
The work done by the FPB must be supported across party lines and we should not fall into the mistaken notion, as some have done, that this body is no different from the censorship board of the old apartheid era. It is a vital institution that enhances our security capabilities and very literally continues to save lives everyday.
I want to briefly speak about the achievements of the legal department but the hon De Freitas has pre-empted me. I want to say: Yes we are a very heavily litigated department. We probably are the second to the SAPS in this regard. We have no control, quite frankly, over those people who decide to institute litigation against us. It is their constitutional right to do so, and it is for us to defend the interest of the department and the laws passed by this very House. We will defend only those cases that we think are defensible though. Where we think we are wrong, we have made the effort to reach out and correct out mistakes. [Applause.] We do not defend unnecessarily.
I may say that we do fairly well with regards to the outcome. I have in possession the statistics with regards to court applications that we had been party to this year. Out of 29 applications, we won 23. All these related to immigration, labour, as well as IDs and passport disputes. This is a success rate of 79%. [Applause.]Thank goodness that the DA does not run Home Affairs... [Applause.] ...because if they did, [Interjections.] this is the pose that we would have all the time: We surrender! We would put our hands high up above our heads and constantly say: We surrender!
This is what happens when you pray before the temple of popularity as opposed to leadership. [Time expired.] Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Temporary HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Prof L B G Ndabandaba): Order, hon members, order! [Interjections.] Order, please! Let's not turn the House into a circus, please!
Hon members, before I call upon the next speaker, I have a great honour and pleasure of acknowledging the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zululand, Prof Fikile Mazibuko, who was my student at Course One. May she stand up, please! [Applause.]
Mrs D H MATHEBE / /Mosa/ END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 21
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-21] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-21] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Mrs D H MATHEBE: Hon Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister, Hon guests and comrades, this debate takes place on the day known as Victory Day in the Eastern Europe or former Soviet Union. It is the day on which the Nazi Germany capitulated and surrendered to the Soviet Union. This was the beginning of the end of the Second World War. This day marks the 77th anniversary of the formal annexation of Ethiopia in 1936, thus ending the notion of the only African nation to successfully resist European colonialism during the Scramble for Africa.
I mention these incidences not because I am a good historian or that I have a digital memory. I am making reference of these two because beside their historical importance, I read about them through the internet. There is [Interjections.] no doubt that internet has reshaped the world.
Most traditional communication media including telephone, music, film and television are being reshaped and refined by internet, giving birth to the new services such as voice-over Internet Protocol and Internet Protocol Television. Newspapers, books and other print publishing also adapt to website technology, or are reshaped into blogging and web feeds. The internet has also enabled and accelerated new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, internet forums and social networking.
One does not need to know that to be a genius through information technology, IT, such as the internet, the Department of Home Affairs can really make the lives of our people better.
It is a fact that our people, especially those in the rural areas still travel for distances in order to access Department of Home Affairs' services. So a million rand question will be: "What is the Department of Home Affairs doing to change this?" This is necessary because these people who are the poorest of the poor have to spend the little money that they have to go from their local area to other areas, mainly to urban areas, for them to access Home Affairs' services.
Sepedi:
Ke ka baka la gore batho magaeng ka moka, ba kgona go boledišana le Home Affairs Department ya rena gore batho ba kgone go thušwa.
English:
Surely this run short of the provision of improved quality of life of all citizens that the Constitution demands of us. This is because one of the big element that is missing, information technology. It is missing, not because it is totally missing but because it is not utilised optimally. There are, of course, many reasons for this minimal utilisation, ranging from financial constraints to human capacity.
This means, we either do not have adequate technology or if we do have, we do not have enough skilled personnel to implement that technology. This is why at the 53rd Conference in Mangaung, the ANC took very important resolutions dealing with Home Affairs in particular. Among others, the Conference noted that the cross-departmental responsibility and the competencies of border management create duplication of tasks, weak data collection and control.
It resolved, among others, the need for single nation identity system which will contain a profile of all South Africans and documented foreign nationals who comply with our laws.
Those who are able to read between the lines will realise that these two have the biometric smart ID written all over them. This shows that the ANC can think smart and futuristic. It shows that the ANC changes with time. This show that the ANC can and will resolve the challenges using the modern technology including information technology.
As I alluded to earlier, government can become closer to its people through its usage of information technology and communications, thereby increasing efficiency and helping to make their lives better. Communication is a two-way traffic, this means people themselves can also inform government of what is happening in their areas through use of technology. This will in turn enable government to align its services and programmes according to the needs of the people, and this will save government a lot of money and an official will not need to go to places where these people live.
Having access to information, allows government to lay foundation for policies and make commitments to improve conditions. Being able to obtain information from outside ultimately is the improvement of the plight of the people. Our government, through the department, is not immune to this, that is why we support the strengthening of information technology capacity of the department. This will save a lot of time and resources not mentioning making the relationship between the department and citizens simpler, faster and better.
The late former President of the USA, John F Kennedy, once said, I quote: "It is the time for a new generation of leadership to cope with the problems and new opportunities, for there is a new world to be won."
Today's new problems and opportunity relate heavily to changes in information technology and globalisation of economic activities. To address these problems we need new leadership, including senior managers and political leaders that are clued up in Information and Communication Technology, ICT.
Many people have said that money is power. However, in this age of knowledge, it is the new source of power which is in the hands of the few but information in the hands of many. By strengthening the information technology capacity of the department, we will be giving power to ordinary people.
It should be noted that although those with financial resources are in a superior position to obtain and utilise information, modern information technology has given access of information to millions of people and has enabled them to think and make decisions for themselves in an inexpensive way.
In a nutshell, in South Africa, information technology's true value does not lie in how easy it makes it to do internet banking, or in its ability to allow you to work from home. Its true value lies in its ability to facilitate that an old lady in Matlapa-a-nkwaletse receives her pension grant. It lies in the ability to facilitate that the poor children in Hlankomo receive foster children's grant. In other words, its true value lies in the ability to help us, especially the poor to live more dignified lives as humans.
Apart from this substantial transformation, information technology will also bring about revolutionary transformation in the department. This is because as a resource, IT has inherent predispositions such as requiring certain skills and investments that lead to changes in organisational structure and management.
The department will have to adapt to fit into an age of information, this is revolutionary transformation that we need for this department. I am not sure, but I have a strong suspicion that the recent clean audit issued by the department has a lot to do with the IT system.
For far long this department has been adversely qualified and so, on audit reports. This was its lagging behind in terms of information technology. Luckily this has changed recently and this has to be sustained by the new minister and former minister.
The importance of information and communications technology in government with regard to the public service delivery can no longer be overlooked. The Department of Home Affairs, just like all other government departments needs an up-to-scratch working IT framework to achieve optimal government –to-government, business-to-government and government-to-citizen interaction.
Remember, today's world is an e-world. We have e-government, e-democracy, and so on. I therefore hope and believe that this budget will enable the Department of Home Affairs to implement the e-ID, the biometric smart ID cards. So as the ANC we support this budget. Bakone. [Thank you.]
Adv A de W ALBERTS / kn / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 22
Ms D H MATHEBE
Adv A de W ALBERTS: Thank you, Chair.
Afrikaans:
Die departement se rekord het die afgelope twee jaar verbeter en dit lyk of die regruk poging begin vrugte afwerk. Tog is daar steeds vele kwellinge.
Eerstens blyk dit dat die departement heeltemal te veel adjunkdirekteur-generale het. Die departement het net een direkteur-generaal maar sewe adjunkdirekteur-generale, en een vakante pos, vir 'n totaal van agt adjunkte. Wat sou die rede daarvoor wees?
Hierdie week het e.tv berig van chaos by Musina waar honderde duisende Zimbabwiërs oor die grens na Suid-Afrika toe stroom. Sommige van hulle loop eenvoudig deur die leë Limpoporivier. Die polisie wie daar is sê dat hulle nie kan arresteer of optree nie, want Binnelandse Sake moet die dokumentasie hanteer. So word die bal aangegee sonder dat enige iemand daadwerklik optree om ons grense te beskerm. Ons wil weet of die Minister daar gaan ingryp en beter met die polisie ko-ördineer.
Ons merk dat die departement 'n groot poging teen korrupsie het met 'n hele afdeling wat dit moet bestry. Dit is goed, maar ten spyte daarvan is daar 'n negatiewe tendens aan die vorm. Dit blyk dat elke tweede aand, soos weer dié week, ons moet hoor van 'n klomp amptenare van Binnelandse Sake wie, hetsy by 'n grenspos of elders, gearresteer is. Daar is dus steeds 'n groot probleem van misdadige elemente in die departement.
In hierdie verband is dit veelseggend om te sien watter inligting op die departement se eie webwerf geskryf staan. Die departement het 'n meningspeiling geplaas waar lesers moes aandui of hulle deur 'n amptenaar van Binnelandse Sake versoek was om omkoopgeld te aanvaar en te betaal. Sover het 33,4% van deelnemers aangedui dat hulle wel versoek was om omkoopgeld te betaal.
'n Ander vraag probeer vasstel watter persentasie persone wel omkoopgeld betaal het, en daar het 19,1% aangedui dat hulle dit wel gedoen het. Dit is dus duidelik dat daar nog baie skoonmaakwerk in die departement gedoen moet word. Ons word deur die Ouditeur-generaal gewaarsku dat korrupsie in Suid-Afrika endemies word. Daarom sal die Minister baie ernstig na die probleem moet kyk.
English:
The last problem to be addressed is the clear lack of accountability by the Minister's department as well as other departments, not only in Musina, but also in Waterkloof. With regard to the Waterkloof-Gupta affair, it is quite apparent that the ANC cannot run this country as it should. [Interjections.] While we are all supposed to be equal before the law, it is quite clear that some are more equal if they are friends with the ANC and the President.
There were 200 guests on the aeroplane and they should have carried valid visas with them when they landed ... [Interjections.] ... at Waterkloof Air Force Base. Those visas should have been obtained from the SA High Commission in India. That also means that the department knew or should have known about the incoming visitors. [Interjections.] Every single visitor should also have carried their passports with them.
The question is whether the Minister's department knew about the Gupta party entering our borders and whether officials had checked that the visitors' paperwork was in order. If so, why were they allowed to use Waterkloof Air Force Base as a port of entry? What were the costs involved to establish a temporary port of entry at Waterkloof? If not, then it means that the Gupta party visited South Africa illegally, and that raises many security concerns. What remedial ... [Time expired.] [Interjections.]
Mr S N SWART
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 22
Adv de W ALBERTS
Mr S N SWART: Chairperson, I, as a member of the ACDP, was a member of the portfolio committee during the dark years, and we are really pleased to see how the department has turned around, and the progress that has been made. Yes, there are some remaining challenges but it is a real sign of how a department can be turned around successfully, and be a model for other departments that are facing similar turnaround strategies. [Applause.]
I think it is very important to understand the need for that speedy obtaining of identity documents, IDs, and for the obtaining of social grants, since we have approximately 13 million people on social grants. That is a huge contribution that we make to alleviate poverty in our country.
We referred to the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, earlier in the debate, and we also wish to share the sentiments with regard to the professionalism around the IEC. Possibly one aspect that one needs to look at as we move towards elections – and it was raised in the committee's report – is the possible involvement of presiding officers and staff with political parties, and any impact that it might have on the independence of the IEC. I am sure that the IEC is attending to that.
The Deputy Minister referred, with great passion, to the good work done by the Film and Publication Board. I want to share that sentiment with her, and also welcome her guests whom she referred to. However, I would also like to add one aspect, and that is that I am sure that the board must be disappointed about the decision by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa, to allow a pornography channel on Top.tv.
As the ACDP we, and I'm sure many people who objected to that, believe that pornography contributes to the scourge of sexual violence in our country. Yes, there might be human rights arguments as well, but what about the human rights of the women who are being demeaned by pornographic films? Surely that is also a debate that we need to open in South Africa. It is very obvious that this channel is bankrupt ... [Applause.] ... and is now looking to increase its viewership. This is something that we really need to look into. In our view, pornography is the theory; rape is the practice.
There were also some references made to court cases and the Western Cape court case about the closure of the refugee centres and judgements not being adhered to, and I would like the Minister to respond to that. I know that she was given time in the Western Cape to comply with the order, but it obviously is a concern. I would like her to address that.
As far as the Lindela detention centre is concerned, there has been improvement but again there are concerns about abuses that have arisen. Maybe it's time to look again, as the Minister indicated, at external monitoring. I understand that when she visited the centre earlier, she said that this was something that one could look at. We know the SA Human Rights Commission has a mandate to visit, but clearly we need to look at external monitoring, and to allow people ... [Inaudible.] The ACDP will support this Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Ms P MADUNA / TH (Eng and Afr) / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 23
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,13 May 2013,"Take 23 [Old Assembly Main].doc"
Mr S N SWART
Ms P MADUNA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, hon members, our department and guests in the gallery, Outcome 3 of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, requires that all people in South Africa be and feel free. Linked to this outcome is Outcome 1 of the Department of Home Affairs which aims at secured South African citizenship and identity. As its strategic goal to realise the outcome, the department is committed to securing South African citizenship and identity through regulating and overseeing the provisions of enabling documents such as identity documents and passports, and maintaining the National Population Register.
The objectives of the department in line with citizens affairs as outlined in the Estimates of national Expenditure, are to ensure that registration at birth is the only entry point to the National Population Register by improving on the number of births registered within 30 calendar days of the birth event against the rolling baseline from 618 000 in 2013-14 to 669 000 in 2015-16. The department also aims at maintaining the standard of service delivery for the issuing of enabling documents by inter alia: Issuing 95% of the projected machine-readable passports of live capture processes within 24 working days in 2013-14.
The ANC regards Home Affairs as the backbone of national security, service delivery and development, because it is the custodian of the unique identity of all citizens and documented foreigners residing in South Africa. In this regard, a national identity database enables any state to achieve these goals if it meets certain criteria. Firstly, the population register must be comprehensive, accurate and secure - births and deaths and any other changes must be recorded; secondly, to secure a population register, babies must be registered within 30 days of birth; and thirdly, all citizens should apply for and receive identity documents, IDs, at the age of 16 and then they must take care of it to prevent identity theft.
The law in South Africa requires that newborns be registered within 30 days of birth. However, just over 50% of parents will take a year to register their children and sometimes even longer. Another problem is that orphans and other vulnerable children are sometimes not registered, making it difficult for them to claim their citizenship later on. What is of more concern is that late registration of birth opens the way for fraud and leads to an insecure and inaccurate national identity database.
Another threat to the National Population Register, NPR, comes from citizens who are 16 years or older, but have not yet applied for an ID. Failure to apply for and collect an ID book at the age of 16, creates opportunities for unscrupulous officials to access these documents and sell them to individuals or organised syndicates who do massive damage to our economy and may even commit acts of terror and sabotage. The aspect of abuse and fraudulent acquisition of South African citizenship is made worse when citizens who have applied for ID books do not collect them at the Department of Home Affairs – I don't know why.
According to its annual performance plan, the department has committed itself to securing South African citizenship and identity. The department is determined to focus at three pillars as a means to realise the outcome mentioned. The first pillar is to ensure that registration at birth is the only entry point for South Africans to the NPR. The second pillar is to issue identity documents to citizens turning 16 years of age and above. The third and last one is to ensure the registration and identification of all South African citizens, foreign residents, refugees and asylum seekers to enhance the integrity and security to identity.
According to its records of performance, to realise the objective of ensuring a single entry point to the NPR, the department achieved 0,3% above its target births registered within 30 days. The connection of health institutions for online birth registration was interrupted by freeze or movement of assets due to audit processes thus leading to underperformance in this area. However, to remedy the situation, the department is finalising the audit of its assets so as to release equipment required for the connectivity of health facilities.
In registering the 16-year-old citizens, the department was 32% on target in issuing IDs to them. In registering all categories I mentioned earlier, the department signed a definite agreement in June 2012 to facilitate the implementation of the new national identity system.
Shareholders forums have been launched in over 250 municipalities over the past years, bringing together communities, local governments, provinces and national departments. These forums monitor the local offices of the department, help detect, solve problems and fight corruption. They ensure that even the most vulnerable person gets access to Home Affairs services and that the key messages around the NPR campaign gets filtered to grass roots level.
In general, it is important that the acquisition of permanent residence and citizenship by foreigners should be managed in a way that ensures that national security and public safety is not compromised; and that the achievement of development goals is advanced.
In this regard, we welcome the initiative to establish a single national identity system that includes every citizen and foreigner who lives or has lived in South Africa, whatever their status. We are in support of securing such system through the use of biometrics, including digital photographs, fingerprints and signatures. This system should be designed to prevent any fraudulent change to a person's status and its key component should be a secure register of citizens.
In combination with the live capture of biometrics and smart card technology, a single national identity system should be the backbone of the government and can make service delivery more efficient, accessible, transparent, secure and cost effective. It will also be a powerful instrument for combating domestic and international crime, fraud and corruption. Several government departments and recently the banks, are already linking to the Home Affairs National Identification System, Hanis.
In conclusion, the security of the identity of citizens needs all of us to work together. We therefore call on mothers to register their children at birth and for the department to expedite the rolling-out of linking all hospitals to the national birth registration online system. Again, we make a call to all South Africans who have attained the age of 16 to apply for and collect their ID books promptly without unreasonable delay.
We extend the same call to all South Africans in our communities to participate in the Home Affairs stakeholder forums so that all fraudulent acquisitions of enabling documents can be prevented and combated. In the same vein, we sound a firm warning to some officials who persist in fraudulent issuing of enabling documents to desist from breaking the law and putting our NPR at jeopardy.
We support the initiatives taken by the department in ensuring that all people in South Africa are and feel free. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Mr M MNQANSELA / MS .../TM / END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 24
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-24] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Ms P MADUNA
Isixhosa:
Mnu M MNQASELA: Mhlalingaphambili, Mphathiswa, Mama uNaledi Pandor, Sekela Mphathiswa, Mama uChohan, sihlalo wekomiti yam, Mama ndiyabulisa, nabantu bonke abakhoyo apha kodwa mandibulise abantu abaphethe amashishini kunye nesigqeba seKomishoni eZimeleyo yoNyulo, ndigqibezele ngokubulisa ...
English:
... the shadow Minister of the official opposition in Parliament, the hon Manny De Freitas. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
IsiXhosa:
Sihlalo, kumba weentsuku ezingama-30, nangona sele ethethile ngawo uMphathiswa, kukho abantu abahlawula iimali ezininzi, umzk eFreyistata umntu uhlawula amashumi amathathu eerandi ukuya kwiSebe lezeMicimbi yeKhaya.
Izolo bendithetha nabantu baseNgqamakhwe ndibabuza ukuba benza njani na xa besiya kwiSebe lezeMicimbi yeKhaya. Ufumanise ukuba - hayi kaloku kukho iifowuni ngoku akufani nayizolo - bayafowuna bebuza ukuba liza kuza nini iSebe lezeMicimbi yeKhaya eNgqamakhwe. Kaloku ii-ofisi azibancedi ngendlela yokuba bakwazi ukuwafumana onke amaxwebhu. Umntu ulindiswa ixesha elide xa efikile.
English:
Chairperson, the DA noted the progress made by the department. It is there, everybody knows. When they want to quote a good department, they talk about the Department of Home Affairs. Therefore, it is something that is known.
IsiXhosa:
Ungaqhwabi ...
English:
... because before ...
IsiXhosa:
... ndigqibe ...
English:
... much more still needs to be done; much more still needs to be done. People in the villages will tell you that ...
IsiXhosa:
... asikayingcamli le nkululeko thina, kubi, ziyaduma. [Uwelewele]
English:
There are 117 computerised mobile service trucks equipped with satellite dishes to connect to the department's systems. These mobile trucks which are used as offices are often dysfunctional. The problem is that, right now, approximately 80% of them are not properly functioning. This is something we have raised in the committee. You can shake your head, Madam Deputy Minister, but we have raised this in the committee and you know that this satellite issue must be resolved.
IsiXhosa:
Abantu bayasokola ezilalini. [Uwelewele.]
English:
The ideal number of service delivery points to meet the standards of access desired was set at 744. Currently, there are 407 fixed offices, 68 ports of entry, 25 uncomputerised points where they use 4X4s and some refugee reception centres - obviously we know the story. In order to implement the access model in full, more than double the current funding would be required. We hope that the increase in the allocation for 2013-14 financial year from R327 million to R473 million, an increase of 37%, will somehow address these concerns.
Chairperson, the department has a large vacancy rate. It takes not less than six months to fill in one vacancy. [Interjections.]
IsiXhosa:
Hamba uye kufunda ...
... the Auditor-General report. There are many positions where staff members, this includes some provincial managers, who are appointed on acting basis. This department needs to ensure that it complies with the Department of Public Service and Administration's policy - I'm happy the director-general, DG, is sitting there - because if it does not do that it will then be found wanting in terms of the regulations and the Constitution.
One wonders, how many acting positions are there in the Department of Home Affairs because it seems they are good at taking the career of acting. [Laughter.] This is happening in your office, Madam Minister, with 149 staff in your office. It is in the report that there are 149 people who are working there. Hundred and forty nine, what are they doing? Some of these must go perhaps and work in the department. We need to second them.
The Auditor-General also highlighted in the reported of 2011-12 financial year that 41% of the staff personnel of the department are in fact carrying remunerative work outside their official duty. That is why ...
Isixhosa:
... kukho ezi ngxaki esimane sithetha ngazo apha. Aba bantu bayasebenza, baziqeshile kwaye baneenkampani kodwa ...
... everyday they report for duty. This is a problem that the Department of Social Administration should address. If people want to work for the Department of Home Affairs, they must work for it. If they want to work for themselves, they must go and employ themselves outside. This is something that cannot be tolerated.
IsiXhosa:
Ngeniyiqhwabela ke loo nto kuba ngurhulumente wenu. [Uwelewele.] [Kwahlekwa.]
English:
In the same year, the Public Finance Management Act, PFMA, requirements were flouted, where contracts to the tune of R3,9 million were given without following proper rules and procedures. For instance, the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB, regulations were not followed.
IsiXhosa:
Umnika njani umntu isiniki maxabisa engakulungelanga oko ...
English:
... in terms of grades. Those are problems. That is why companies are loosing interest in this country to work with government. Also, they are getting paid on time. [Laughter.][Interjections.]
The last issue which I want to bring forward is the fact that we've got the smart ID card report. We've been waiting for this report. It was presented to the committee. When we engaged with the officials of both, State Information Technology Agency, Sita, and the department, we were promised that the report is coming. Until now the report is not yet with us. Since 2001, we've have been talking about smart card. [Interjections.] This corruption was picked up in 2008-9 and R1,4 billion had been wasted in the cancellation of that tender. Who must answer? Bring those people to Parliament and we must make sure that heads do roll. We must make sure that people are held accountable.
English:
Minister ...
IsiXhosa:
... sithembele kuwe ke kuba kuthiwa ...
English:
... new broom sweeps clean.
IsiXhosa:
Sicela utshayele ke kuba liza kusishiya ixesha. [Siyabulela.] [Kwaqhwatywa.][Laphela ixesha.]
Mr A H GAUM / Nb/ END OF TAKE
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 25
**incomplete**
Adv A H GAUM:
EPC – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Thursday, 9 May 2013 Take: 26
"Old Assembly Main",Unrevised Hansard,09 May 2013,"[Take-26] [Old Assembly Main][90P-4-082A][hm].doc"
Mr A H GAUM
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you Chairperson, and all the members who have participated in this debate. I sincerely appreciate all their contributions, including those of the hon De Freitas. [Laughter.] I wish to advise him that if he has letters concerning service-delivery needs, he should direct those to me. Hon members from his party have done so and we have been able to resolve matters when they were drawn to our attention, but we don't use the fact that we resolve them to extol our contributions in the House. [Interjections.] He is certainly able to refer those letters to me and I will try to address it.
I chose not to deal with all the problem issues today. There is no way that the Department of Home Affairs is absolutely perfect. It is not. There are many problems, but that's not what the budget debate is about. The budget debate must be about the budget, what we have done ... [Applause.] ... during the last financial year and our intentions in the new financial year. That's my business and I have done it.
To the hon member from the IFP, with respect to the issue of UK visas, there have been lots of discussions between the two governments on this matter. We had been promised that following the Olympics there would be a focus on whether or not the visa requirements can be lifted. There hasn't been movement and I think that the time has come for us to consider reciprocity. Certainly it is something that we are looking at. [Applause.]
With respect to the hon Mnqasela, I don't have 144 staff in the Ministry. I don't have 149. I don't have the number that you mentioned, but the few people whom I do have on my staff work like a 149 people. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
I also wish to thank the hon members for the excellent comments that they made with respect to the entities. Indeed we have excellent entities associated with the Department of Home Affairs, and I am sure that all the chief executive officers, CEOs, are most thankful for the remarks that hon members have made.
With respect to hon McIntosh, Cuba is our partner. They have excellent systems and programmes for managing and retaining the integrity of national population databases. We seek to draw on that experience, because we believe that as we move towards developing our own national identity system, we should look at countries that actually do have an excellent record. Previously, when I was in my other Ministries, I worked with colleagues from Cuba. They were excellent in biotechnology and literacy. The very Kha Ri Gude programme which is having such an impact in South Africa, drew on the Cuban example, and worked with Cuban technical persons in literacy. I think that they do have the capacity that we can draw on. They are a partner that we will work with, not only with regards to the skills they offer, but also because of the historical friendship that we enjoy. We can never deny the role that they played in partnership ... [Applause.] ... with us in fighting colonialism and apartheid.
I agree with hon members that we must strengthen the service orientation within the department. That is why we created the learning academy. I agree that we must fight corruption, and fight it harder. We will do so. I have told our unit on countercorruption that I want them to start being like intelligence officers. They must be out there in the queues at the refugee reception offices and see who is bribing people, identify our officials who are corrupt and ensure that they are arrested. They cannot sit in offices at headquarters and think that we can fight corruption from behind our desks. They will be active. [Applause.]
With regard to the scarce skills list, I am very happy to report that just this week our colleagues in my department have been meeting with colleagues from Labour, Trade and Industry and Higher Education. We are working with speed in order to produce this list. I have asked them to work more closely with the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC, with the Centre for Development and Enterprise, CDE, and others who hold excellent research databases that can help us as we draft this list.
I didn't come here for Pandor policies, but I came here to advance the programmes of this government. I was very clear right at the beginning of my speech that I haven't come here to promote my reputation, or a vision as the hon MacIntosh called it. We have a vision, we have a programme, we have priorities. Mine is to ensure that we implement and implement effectively. That is what I was talking about today. [Applause.]
On the matter of the Public Protector, we will of course respond to her ... [Inaudible.]
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Prof L B G Ndabandaba): Hon Minister, I'm sorry to say that your time has expired. [Interjections.]
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Chairperson, I don't wish to argue with you but it's a pity that when we have important debates of this kind Ministers are given very little time to respond. [Interjections.] I think that Parliament needs to look into this. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The Committee rose at 16:36
TH / END OF TAKE
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