Questions and Replies

Reply:

(a) The Department of Home Affairs has Standard Operating Procedures, which are approved and distributed to offices to make sure that there is uniformity with how applications for various products are taken at front offices.

(b) The local Office in Dutywa has online verification; the challenge is the low-voltage electricity, which has affected all computers in the office. To mitigate the non-functioning computers there is a mobile unit, which is stationed full-time at the office to assist clients while the low voltage issue is being resolved.

END.

Reply:

(a) The New Hanover Office has been affected by the system downtimes for different reasons. Since April 2024 the office has been offline for 6 different days. Furthermore, the town has a network instability as well as electricity outages. The office has a generator that serves as a backup during power outages.

(b) The UMgungundlovu District only has one mobile unit to service all seven (7) Local Municipalities under the district, which includes uMshwathi Local Municipality under which Hanover belongs. The mobile unit has an itinerary for school visits as well as other outreach programs. Due to unplanned system downtimes, the use of a mobile unit as a backup cannot be planned as the unit will be engaged in line with its schedule.

END.

Reply:

(a) The Mthatha Local Office is a State-owned building and a Heritage building that is not supporting the operational requirements of the Department. The office has public toilets and a waiting area inside the office that can accommodate forty clients (40) and an overflow space under the carport outside the office further accommodates an additional sixty (60) clients where Supervisors are visibly managing the queues.

(b) The Department is seeking alternative accommodation that will support the Department’s operational requirements and as such, a meeting has been scheduled for August to meet the management of Mthatha Mall with an intervention to relocate the office to the Mall.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a) This question should be referred to Statistics SA as they are mandated by the Statistics Act, 1999 (Act No. 6 of 1999) to collect data for official statistics and to conduct a census.

(1)(b) As at 19 July 2024, there were 593 886 uncollected IDs at Home Affairs offices

(2) Breakdown of the total number of uncollected IDs in each province is as follows:

(3)(a)&(b) The names and location of the top 5 Home Affairs offices with the highest number of uncollected IDs is as below:

(4) The Department has implemented the strategy on uncollected IDs. This strategy seeks to reduce the number of uncollected IDs in offices, thereby encouraging applicants to collect their IDs.

The Department has implemented additional service channels like the Branch Booking Appointment System (BABS) to reduce waiting times in queues at offices and has also deployed additional Mobile Units to service more areas, including far outlying rural areas.

(5) During the period 1 April 2019 – 29 July 2024, fifty-three (53) employees have been disciplined in relation to the irregular processing of identity documents and 33 employees have been dismissed during this period.

END

Reply:

(1)(a)(i – v) The event cost R2 640 750 inclusive of the hire of the marquee, tables, chairs stage and sound system.

(1)(b) No expenditure was incurred as the department used in-house branding and advertised on a local radio station at no cost.

(1)(c) The expenditure incurred for catering amounted to R500 000.

(2) The total cost for transporting attendees was R199 000.

(3)(a)&(b) The Department planned catering for 2500 persons. However, 3500 persons participated at the event.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a) The event cost R2 640 750.00. The main costs were for the marquee at the stadium, ablution facilities, chairs, stage and sound.

(1)(b)(i-ii) Fuel was R684 173.93 and toll gates fees were R63 987 to and from Mokopane.

(2)(a) No expenditure was incurred for wages as the officials are permanently employed by the department.

(2)(b-d) Subsistence and travel allowance costs, accommodation costs and meal allowance costs are in line with National Treasury Regulations.

(2)(e) There were no costs incurred as the stadium was offered free of charge by the municipality.

(2)(f) There were no costs incurred as the stadium was offered free of charge by the municipality.

(2)(g) The other costs incurred were for flights totalling R114 785.61 and shuttles for the mobile drivers totaling R49 615.00

END

Reply:

a) The Department initiated a process to address and reduce Late Registration of Birth(LRB) through the following steps:

1. By reviewing the legislation that deals with Late Registration of Birth.
2. This was followed by stringent measures for those who visited the department to apply for this category of birth registration.
3. Hereafter a campaign was launched to further emphasise the importance of birth registration within 30 days. This was ramped up with the deployment of mobile units to far-flung rural areas for birth registrations services.

b) For the Department to completely eradicate LRB’s, an Optimisation rollout strategy was developed to automate the birth registration process in ensuring connectivity and automation at health facilities. The Department has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Health (DoH) to ensure that each child is allocated with a birth certificate on the spot, by registering birth at health facilities. The objective is to have all health facilities connected to Home Affairs systems in ensuring that all births which occurred at a health facility are registered before discharge and within 30 days as prescribed in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51, of 1992 (amendment Act, Act 18 of 2010). The DHA will continue to expand access to services at health facilities with maternity wards over the medium term. Concerted efforts will be made to encourage the public to register births and deaths at hospitals in order to release pressure on conventional DHA offices. The plan was developed based on birth occurrences per health facility. The plan in this regard is staggered over a 5-year period and is envisaged to be completed by 2024/25. The early registration of birth will also reduce the need for late registration of birth applications. It is thus expected that this plan will ultimately assist in addressing challenges with birth registrations.

END.

Reply:

Pursuant to the Ministerial Committee reviewing the issuance of permits and visas (MinCom Report) (widely referred to as the Lubisi Report) (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”), the Department of Home Affairs appointed a Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT) operating under a joint venture known as Cognitive Analytical Litigation and Investigations (CAJV), to implement, inter alia, recommendations of the “Report”. The work of the MDTT focuses on 25 identified areas of priority and culminates into referral of identified matters to respective law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation, as well as to the Department’s Labour Relations Unit for possible disciplinary action.

As of 30 June 2024;

• 11 referrals have been made to law agencies. Recommendations of the MDTT are currently being implemented in collaboration with other law enforcement bodies, including the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), which is now mandated under a Presidential Proclamation (R154 of 2024) dated 16th February 2024 and provides for investigation of serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the Department.

• 23 officials referred to Labour Relations in respect to the 11 referrals above.

The work of the MDTT is meticulous and complex, and requires that investigations are evidence-led so that once an official is charged, the only possible outcome should be guilty verdict. It should also be able to withstand an Appeals process so as to root out malfeasance within the Department.

a) The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is probing visas issued due to the alleged activities.

b) The total number of approved cases since August 2022 to date is: 79 904.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a) The Department leases 214 (two hundred and fourteen) buildings from private owners through the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

(1)(b) The total amount spent by the Department for all leased buildings in 2023/24 is R343 946 721.37. The amount spent per building is set out in the schedule attached as Annexure A.

The management of all leases is administered entirely by the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure. The Department of Home Affairs is engaged with National Treasury to effect cost savings on the head office building in Pretoria. In this regard, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been registered, a suitable site has been identified in the Salvokop precinct (state owned land), and bulk services procured. The feasibility study identified a unitary payment shortfall and the Department is engaging National Treasury with a view to address the shortfall. In addition, the Department registered 15 capital works projects with the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Council in 2021. The purpose of this initiative is to construct purpose built Home Affairs offices on state owned land, in partnership with the private sector as part of Government’s capital investment drive.

(2)(a) The detailed list of leased buildings is set out in the schedule attached as Annexure A.

(2)(b) The names of the owners of each building are detailed in the schedule attached as Annexure A.

(2)(c) The amounts paid for each building is detailed in the schedule attached as Annexure A.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a) The concession was aimed at addressing those applicants who are affected by the backlogs experienced in the Department.

(1)(b)(ii) Skills transfer occurs for a category of visa, namely, Intra-Company Transfer, whereby the company is required to have a skills transfer plan.

(1)(b)(iii) The Department of Employment and Labour is responsible to conduct monitoring and evaluation of skills transfer plan at company level.

(2)(a) The Department has a dedicated Counter Corruption unit to manage and prevent such activities.

(2)(b) Changes on the current systems are being made to identify such types of applications.

(3) The concession covers all nationalities from across the globe.

(4) This questions should be directed to the relevant Ministry dealing with housing.

End.

Reply:

a) The total number of Smart Identification Cards (ID) fluctuate usually on any given time because, as Id Cards are collected, new applications come in immediately.

Most people who apply for Id Cards, actually have the green identity booklet, hence they are not in a hurry to collect smart Id Cards because they still have the Id (green barcoded) booklet which allows them to do everything.

Presently the number of uncollected new issued Id Smart card is 105,000.

(b) Part of the intervention strategies being employed to ensure that identity documents are collected before 29 May 2024 include: -

• Home Affairs will open its offices countrywide for seven (7) Saturdays prior to Election Day. These are 06, 13, 20 April 2024 and 04, 11, 18, and 25 May 2024, which will be from 08H00 until 17H00, to encourage collection of identity documents, as well as dealing with resolution of duplicate cases.
• Additional three (3) hours per day of service delivery on 27 and 28 May 2024 will be effected.

• On Election Day, 29 May 2024, Home Affairs will extend its operational hours in line with the IEC.
• Mobile Units will be deployed to far-flung areas where Home Affairs does not have presence.

END.

Reply:

1. The Department never received any formal memorandum from the Office of the State Attorney Cape Town. However, we learnt from the Sunday Times that such a memorandum existed. We then investigated and found that there was correspondence between two junior officials, one from the Department and the other from the Office of the State Attorney Cape Town. We enquired from the Head of the Office of the State Attorney Cape Town, Mr Mbeki, whether he had any knowledge of such correspondence. Mr Mbeki confirmed that he did not approve such correspondence and that he only learnt from the media that there was such a memorandum. We therefore do not regard that memorandum as official correspondence save to state that, information contained therein is inaccurate.

2. As at 31 January 2024, the Critical Skills, Business and General Work Visas that form part of the annual performance plan have no backlogs. Majority of the delays and backlogs are on two visa categories, they are section 11(6) and Section 18 visas for spousal and relatives respectively.

The department experiences challenges concerning the legitimacy of relationships being claimed and cited in the applications. It must be noted that some foreign nationals have taken advantage and follow corrupt methods to legitimise themselves, family members, friends and others. The backlog for both stands at 79 916. 85% of the backlog falls under these two categories where massive corruption and collusion was detected. The breakdown is as follows:

END

Reply:

(a&b) The total number is zero as of 15 March 2024. However, there are 110 outstanding class action cases and processes have already commenced on the finalisation of these 110 cases well before their deadlines. The department has a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance court orders. The Minister has instructed officials to ensure all court orders issued are finalised within 7 days before the stipulated deadline to implement the order. All Deputy Director Generals account for pending court orders at bi-weekly meetings and directly to the Minister every month.

(c)  The Department has a system where the data is received and captured to monitor all letters of demand, mandamus applications as well as Court orders. A dedicated team has been set up between the Legal and Immigration Services units to focus exclusively on court matters.

END

Reply:

(a) The total amounts spent on litigation in the past five financial years are set out in the table below:

(b) The amount spent on litigation since 1 April 2023 to 29 February 2024 is set out in the table below.

END.

Reply:

Honourable Member, I would like to draw your attention to the Media briefing held on 17 March 2024 in which I comprehensively clarified the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Circular and the steps taken by the Department to address any consequential concerns emanating therefrom. I have also previously addressed this matter in Parliament in February 2024 during the SONA Debate and on the occasion of the oral responses session of the JCPS Cluster held on 28 February 2023.

In my presentation on the occasion of the Media briefing which is attached as Annexure A, I further clarified how the Department would assist those short-term visa holders who applied, inter alia, for visa extensions and who still did not yet receive their application outcomes, whether negative or positive. I must also refer you to paragraphs 2 – 4 supra on page 3 of the Media briefing in which clarity is given regarding the removal of undesirable status for those applicants who may have been purported to have overstayed.

At the time of the Media briefing there were only 6 known cases received of persons who were negatively affected by the Circular. The Department will continue to assist and resolve these matters upon receipt of specific cases.

END.

Reply:

Since April 2022 to date, the Department of Home Affairs reported criminal cases against 9 officials who resigned and who were identified for unlawful activities. Other cases are being probed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in line with the Presidential Proclamation on the Department of Home Affairs.  

END. 

Reply:

1. The available information is attached as Annexure A.

2. The available information is attached as Annexure B.

END

Reply:

Honourable Member, I would like to draw your attention to the Media briefing held on 17 March 2024 in which I comprehensively clarified the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Circular and the steps taken by the Department to address any consequential concerns emanating therefrom. I have also previously addressed this matter in Parliament in February 2024 during the SONA Debate and on the occasion of the oral responses session of the JCPS Cluster held on 28 February 2023.

In my presentation on the occasion of the Media briefing which is attached as Annexure A, I further clarified how the Department would assist those short-term visa holders who applied, inter alia, for visa extensions and who still have not yet received their application outcomes, whether negative or positive. I must also refer you to paragraphs 2 – 4 supra on page 3 of the Media briefing in which clarity is given regarding the removal of undesirable status for those applicants who may have been purported to have overstayed.

At the time of the Media briefing, there were only 6 known cases received of persons who were negatively affected by the Circular. The Department will continue to assist and resolve these matters upon receipt of specific cases.

END

Reply:

(a)& (b)

The following systems and precautionary measures are in place to prevent the involvement of officials of his department in identity theft:

• In terms of the Departments’ Information Security Policy, a model built around proactive risk assessment and risk management, Biometric Access Control Management (BACM) system is in place, that all officials responsible for capturing transactions on the National Population Register system within the domain of the organization, are assigned with biometric fingerprint authentication, to detect and hold users liable for fraudulent activities and information stored digitally, at any point in the Department systems.

• The Department in 2013 introduced and implemented the Live Capture system aimed at eliminating manual intervention by users, resulting in reduction of error rate and streamlining of business process for the issuance of Smart Identity Cards and Passports to citizens. The Department has also rolled out the system to 206 modernised offices. The Smart ID Card is engraved with security features that cannot be easily tampered with to prevent identity theft and fraud.

• Furthermore, the Live Capture system entails an online verification feature whereby any member of a public is verified against the Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS), when applying for enabling documents. Similarly, the banks that offer Home Affairs services, have online verification whereby they can verify the legitimacy of client’s fingerprints as they are linked to departmental systems

• The Department reassessed the current business processes to close gaps identified within the passport application process. The department periodically reviews the passport security features in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards.

END

Reply:

(a)&(b) The Department of Home Affairs does not have plans for the 30 years of democracy in the Republic. Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is the lead department and once the department is invited, it will participate.

END

Reply:

There have been no releases of persons whose detention was confirmed because of issues with section 34(1)(b) and (d). The judgement in Lawyers for Human Rights vs Minister of Home Affairs and others CCT 38/16 on 29 June 2017, ordered the amendment of s34(1)(b) and (d) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act 13 of 2002) within 24 months of the order on 29 June 2019. However, all the magistrates’ courts continued to confirm the detention of illegal immigrants for deportation purposes beyond this date.

The non-application of section 34(1)(b) in some magistrates’ courts in the country commenced in February 2022. In ensuring the continuation of law enforcement from that date onwards, the illegal immigrants were charged criminally, as per the provisions of section 49(1) of the Immigration Act, 2002.

If found guilty, and upon serving a sentence of imprisonment or paying a fine, the deportation would be processed within 48 hours of release by an Immigration Officer. In instances where this was not possible within the stipulated timeframe, the illegal immigrant would be issued with an Order to Leave the Country, and thus self-deport.

Therefore, once the detention of an illegal immigrant has been confirmed as per section 34(1)(b), the only basis for not deporting the person would be that they expressed an intention to apply for asylum while awaiting deportation. Alternatively, the person’s legal representation would lodge an application in the High Court with jurisdiction, to review the final rejection of the asylum appeal in terms of Rule 53 of the Rules of Court.

END

Reply:

(a) The category of multiple persons sharing one identity number had 240 cases on hand at the beginning of the 2023/2024 financial year. Another 4882 duplicate cases were reported to date which brings the total to 5122 cases. A total of 4818 cases have been finalised, leaving a balance of 304.

For the category of one person with multiple ID numbers, there were 2946 cases on hand at the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year. Another 9389 cases were reported to date which brings the total cases to 12 335. A total of 10 414 cases have been finalised, leaving a balance of 1921.

(b) In accordance with the standard operating procedure there is a set timeframe of a minimum of eight 8 to 12 weeks provided for clients to submit documentary evidence through the front offices in order to conduct the investigation, and in the final analysis, resolve the duplicates.

END     

Reply:

(a) 11 officials are currently on precautionary suspension pending investigations, disciplinary hearings and/or appeal processes.

(b) 121 officials are facing disciplinary hearings

(c) 63 criminal cases were opened against officials at SAPS who investigates to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to criminally charge the implicated officials. 11 officials have been convicted so far. Investigations are still ongoing.

(d) 63 criminal cases were opened against officials.

(e) 11 Officials have been convicted so far.

(f) 2 officials resigned.

(g) 40 officials were dismissed due to misconduct.

(h) 121 officials are still employed.

(i) 42 officials have been blacklisted (blocked on Persal), and will never work in the Public Service again.

(j) 7397 officials are not facing any disciplinary actions.

END

Reply:

(a)(i) Applicants for relative and/or spousal permits wait as long as two years for their visa due to the requirement that their notarial agreements and other documents such as birth certificates, bank statements and marriage certificates submitted as proof of existence of a spousal or parental relationship are verified. In order to establish the legitimacy of any relative and/ or spousal relationship for a visa application, the adjudication process requires that such relationships should be verified for authenticity. This includes verification of the notarial agreements and other supporting documents submitted in support of such applications with the issuing authority. In most cases the contact number of the purported South African spouse and/ or relative is also not provided, making it difficult to confirm with certainty that the South Africa Citizen is indeed party to the relationship.

(a)(ii) The reason for the prolonged process is due to the verification process of the legitimacy claims by the applicants.

(b) The Department has developed a Backlog Eradication Plan and the Plan was presented to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. The Plan includes amongst other additional capacity to complement the current Immigration Services’ team. An additional 117 officials coming from Head Office and Provinces have been put together to deal with the Backlog Eradication Plan.

The Department through Operation Vulindlela has sought the support of the private sector to speed up verification of documents as verifications contribute to delays in the processing of visas.

END

Reply:

1. The number of suspected illegal foreign nationals that have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year is 32572.
2. The number of the released illegal foreign nationals during quarter 3 from Lindela Repatriation Centre is 69.
3. The number of deported foreign nationals is 5148.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a) In January, the Department of Home Affairs experienced a system downtime on the National Population Register (NPR) due to a glitch. SITA submitted an incident report and also took corrective actions to restore services. They are also replacing the infrastructure that contributed to the failure as part of their Modernisation program, which we believe will improve stability. The glitch was caused by a failure on the Telco equipment at the back-end of the system.

(1)(b) The NPR and LC (Live Capture) systems are currently responsive and accessible. However, due to power interruptions and bulk verifications, there may be some accessibility issues. To manage this, the Department is prioritising traffic between the systems and ensuring that bulk verifications are managed within the allotted thresholds.

(1)(c) SITA has started a Modernisation program for all its data center equipment, which hosts critical systems. Additionally, their primary mainframe and storage vendor is actively monitoring the performance of links on a 24/7 basis. SITA has also upgraded its mainframe hardware. Moreover, the Department and SITA are jointly developing an Application Programme Interface (API) to further manage and streamline the data verification process.

(2) The Department's Modernisation program aims to enhance the user experience and provide citizens with better access to Home Affairs-related services. To achieve this goal, critical applications and infrastructure are being upgraded, and access to and from these services is also being improved. Additionally, new channels, such as kiosks, mobile offices, mobile applications, and offices at banks and malls, are being introduced to facilitate ease of access to these services.

END.

Reply:

1. The Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT) has identified sixty-one (61) officials for disciplinary action in respect of potential irregular activities as at 29 February 2024 and;
2. Two (2) criminal referrals to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for investigation of potential unlawful activities.

END.

Reply:

a) During the 2022/23 financial year, the Department of Home Affairs issued 30 asylum transit visas in terms of Section 23 of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002.

b) In the 2023/24 financial year to date, the Border Management Authority issued 61 asylum transit visas in terms of Section 23 of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002.

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Home Affairs was indeed informed in writing about service delivery challenges at the Phuthaditjhaba office. Water supply to the building was affected by a burnt water pressure pump on the galvanized water tank on top of the building. Municipal water supply was not reaching the building because there was no pressure at all. All bathrooms were not working due to no water supply.

As a result, and due to occupational health and safety considerations, the office started servicing clients from 07h30 in the morning and at 11h00 the office use to take the last group and close the door and serve the clients until they are all served, sometimes up to 14h30 or 15h30. However, the water supply to the building has been resolved and the office operates normal working hours until 16:00.

END.

Reply:

1. The Department has developed a Backlog Eradication Plan and the Plan was presented to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. The Plan includes amongst other additional capacity to complement the current Immigration Services’ team. An additional 117 officials coming from Head Office and Provinces have been put together to deal with the Backlog Eradication Plan.

The Department through Operation Vulindlela has sought the support of the private sector to speed up verification of documents as verifications contribute to delays in the processing of visas.

2. To establish the legitimacy of any spousal relationship for a visa application, the adjudication process requires that such relationships should be verified for authenticity. This includes the notarial agreements that are submitted in support of such applications. In most cases the contact number of the purported South African spouse is not provided, making it difficult to confirm with certainty that the South African citizen is indeed party to the relationship.

END.

Reply:

No sponsorships, donations, or financial transfers have been provided for lawfare and or any other purposes to me, the Department, or any official in the Department by any Qatari, Iranian, or Russian organ of state/organisation since 1 January 2021 to date. The Department and I would not know whether any sponsorship, donation, or financial transfer for lawfare and or any other purpose was made by any Qatari, Iranian, or Russian organ of state /organisation to any resident from 1 January 2021 to date.

END.

Reply:

(a) The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will be utilising five buildings to digitise the 340 million records.

(b)(i) As per my reply in Parliamentary Question 2220, the recruitment of the 10,000 youth graduates is being rolled out in three phases. The advert for the first 1st 2000 cohort of unemployed graduates was published in the 2022/23 financial year, leading to the initial employment of 1405 graduates. This number has been decreasing due to youth finding better opportunities elsewhere. As of 31 January 2024, a total of 1142 youth were still in the employ of the Department and have been posted at various locations, in all provinces. The advert for the 2nd cohort closed on 03 March 2023 and yielded 2951 qualifying candidates out of the 439k applications received. In December 2023, the Department issued 2550 appointment letters to qualifying applicants. This brings the total number of young graduates employed for the digitisation project close to 3,700. The 3rd and last cohort of youth will be recruited in the 2024/25 financial year.

(b)(ii) As of 29 February 2024, the Department had digitised 31 419 990 images which translates to 714 016 records. Records consist of paper records and microfilms.

END.

Reply:

(a) The total amount of office hours lost in all Provincial Offices across the country due to load shedding, office closures, water outages, system downtime and no online verification scanners at health facilities in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year is as follows:

(i) 6 106 hours (load shedding);

(ii) 34 hours (office closures);

(iii) 682 hours (water outages);

(iv) 8 645 hours (system downtime);

(v) 780 hours (no online verification scanners at health facilities).

(b) The DHA/SITA SLA covering all offices reflects as follows:

END.

Reply:

(i) Minister

(a) Isuzu MUX, (b) 3.0 DDI MU-X LSE A/T (c) 2023, (d) 15 November 2023 (e) R800 000.00 inclusive of VAT

(ii) Deputy Minister

(a) BMW (b) 520d (c) 2019 (d) 19 December 2019 (e) R668 000.00 inclusive of VAT

END.

Reply:

(a)(i) Applications lodged for Late Registration of Birth (LRB) for the category - 31 days to 15 years = 77 179

(a)(ii) Applications lodged for LRB applications for the category 15 years and above = 10 097

(b)(i) Applications finalised for the category - 31 days to 15 years = 70 651

(b)(ii) Applications finalised for LRB applications for the category 15 years and above = 6 714

c) Percentage of DNA Testing = Data in respect of DNA testing is not captured on the department’s Track & Trace system. Each birth registration would need to be extracted and analysed to determine if DNA testing was conducted.

d) Published turnaround time for LRB is 180 days. The average processing time of LRB is 3 months to 6 months. Processing times differ for each application, either due to investigations or verification of information obtained during the interview.

END.

Reply:

1.The information is tabulated hereunder: -

2. The visa facilitation services contract between VFS Global and Home Affairs is based on the user-pay model and not on a revenue-sharing model. VFS collects the prescribed visa and permit fee on behalf of Home Affairs and pays it over to the Department. This constitutes the revenue collected in the table above. VFS Global adds a service charge, also called a service fee, on each transaction. It is a fee collected to pay for services that relate to a product or service that is being purchased. In other words, a service charge is an additional charge for the service provided with the submission of a visa or permit application, product, or other auxiliary service. The service fee is approved by the Department. VFS Global does not get any share of the visa or permit fees (revenue) that are due to the Department.

END.

Reply:

1. The average number of persons detained is 9595.
2. The total budget spent: R35 443 197-41 in 2022/23 financial year.
3. The total number of detainees released, because they had not been deported in time at the Lindela Repatriation Centre for the 2022-23 financial year is 53 .

END.

Reply:

Honourable Member, I wish to refer you to two reports presented on 05 March 2024 to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.

The said reports clearly outline progress with timeframes and figures on

(a) Lubisi Report and

(b) Government Printing Works’ Ministerial Report.

They are very detailed and will provide you with all you need to know.

END

Reply:

(a) 617 active cases are still at the first instance adjudication phase as at 31 December 2023.

(b) Refugee Appeals Authority:

(i) Failed asylum seekers who lodged Notices of Appeal – 113 698

(ii) Failed asylum seekers booked for hearing – 2 710

(c) Reviews at SCRA awaiting decisions as at 19/02/2024: 6 774

(d) Refugees awaiting decisions on permanent residence applications: 2 924.

(e) Foreign nationals awaiting permanent residence applications: 44 488.

END

Reply:

Innocent individuals who find themselves in debt due to identity theft are informed by the creditors of their debts and if disputed, they are advised to report the matter to the SAPS for further investigation.

The Department has online verification services whereby any member of the public when applying for identification in the Department, the document is verified online to ensure authentication of the owner of the identity to be issued.

Banks have online verification platforms whereby they can verify the legitimacy of the fingerprints of the clients as they are linked to DHA systems.

All reported cases of corruption involving officials are analysed and investigated. Cases reported with elements of fraud and corruption are referred to SAPS for further handling.

If misconduct is detected, the case is referred to Employee Engagement for disciplinary processes.

The Department has also embarked on Awareness Campaigns regarding identity on both Internal and External platforms.

END

Reply:

(1)(a) In the period 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023 the Department processed 15 047 newcomer applications.

(1)(b)(i) 877 cases were granted status

(1)(b)(ii) (aa) 5009 Cases were adjudicated as Unfounded.

(bb) 8415 Cases were adjudicated as one of the Manifestly Unfounded categories for SCRA review

(2)(a) The total number of processed files for the Backlog Project is 10 890.

• Hearings conducted: 3 910
• Notices sent for No Shows: 894
• Paper determinations: 167
• No Show decisions: 406
• Family Joining decisions: 201
• Cancellations/ Withdrawal: 5 312

(2)(b) Of these processed files, 3 872 were rejected.

(2)(c) Of these processed files, 713 were granted refugee status.

(3) Of cases processed and finally rejected, some Appellants have launched Judicial Reviews in terms of Rule 53 of the Uniform Rules of Court. The total number of appeals under review is: 78

• Desmond Tutu Refugee Centre: 59
• Musina Refugee Centre: 5
• Durban Refugee Centre: 9
• Gqheberha Refugee Centre: 3
• Cape Town Refugee Centre: 2

END:

Reply:

(1)(a) The average waiting time inside an office is calculated per service as different types of services follow different process flows. Where all systems are working and the offices do not experience load shedding, which now affects network coverage in the offices, the average waiting period for pre-booked services is 7 minutes; for birth, marriage, and death services is 10 minutes and 15 minutes for walk-in services.

(1)(b) There is constant monitoring of the queues to check that those who are waiting in the queue will indeed be served without being asked to come back on another day. The queues are divided into product categories and floor/ queue walkers check the queues at regular intervals to see if clients are eligible to apply for the enabling documents and if so, have the correct supporting documents. This is to avoid clients queueing for long periods only to be turned back for not having the correct supporting documents. The total number of clients on the queue at any given time is also reported to management for resource planning purposes. Each official is allocated a specific period to process an application to keep up with the demand on the booking system and clients in the offices.

(1)(c) The ticket allocation system only operates on ID or passport numbers which are validated against the National Population Register before a ticket is issued to a client. This helps to eliminate illegal blocking and selling of slots by agents.

(1)(d) ID numbers or passport numbers are used as unique identifiers by the system. A valid cellphone number or email addresses is required from clients for verification purposes and sending the reference numbers. The system is able to detect any duplicate active booking.

(1)(e) The Department undertook the Home Affairs Customer Satisfaction Survey during the 2022/2023 financial year. The objectives of the study were to assess citizens’ perceptions and satisfaction level of services provided by the DHA, identify and document main problems in service delivery of the Department, document service areas which needs improvement and provide appropriate recommendations to the management of Home Affairs on ways in which service delivery in the selected study areas could be improved. The implementation plan for this study was developed and recommendations are currently being implemented.

(2) The findings of the 2022/2023 survey were as follows:

For Citizens’ perceptions and satisfaction level of services provided by the DHA

• In summary, the 2022/2023 customer satisfaction research findings are a mixture of positive and negative news regarding DHA service delivery efforts across all service centers
• 96% of the customers surveyed endorsed the DHA pricing structure as affordable.
• When asked about the likelihood of recommending the DHA offices they visited using a scale where those who would recommend were captured as promoters, those neutral would be passives whilst those who would not recommend would be detractors. The majority of respondents (i.e. 82%) were DHA promoters whilst 6% were detractors, giving a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 76%. The higher the NPS is the healthier the brand. The main reasons mentioned by the minority that would not recommend DHA across all customer segments were poor customer service, slow customer service, and bad staff attitude.
• Friendliness of Home Affairs officials was highlighted as the biggest challenge.
• Most of the customers were serviced on the same day, however there were some who had to visit the Home Affairs more than once for the same service. For those who were not serviced on the same day their reasons were due to long queues, not having all the required documents and the system being offline.
• The findings show a general improvement in queue management, with an increase of the scores across the different customer interaction points.
• The DHA was generally praised for effectiveness – i.e. its capability to deliver expected output; and criticised for lack of efficiency.
• The findings indicate that most DHA customers visit the DHA offices for the application of birth certificates and smart IDs.

For Customer Satisfaction Score (CSI)

• Customer Satisfaction Score for each service channel was generally high with scores above 70%. However, harbours and airports had the highest satisfaction score of over 90% whereas refugee centers had the lowest score of 73%.
• Inaccessibility, waiting in unmanaged queues for long hours, and unwelcoming staff attitude emerged as the most popular barriers to service excellence at Home Affairs offices. These also include the ability of staff to resolve queries, wait to get attention, and fair treatment.

Overall, DHA online processes were rated relatively high. However, lack of speed, particularly regarding receiving documents, and the payment process, emerged as the most popular barrier to online service excellence.

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Reply:

(1&2)

All one hundred (100) mobile offices have been delivered and are undergoing live capture systems’ installations and configurations and the process will be finalised by 31 March 2024. The minister will announce details of the distribution.

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Reply:

(1)(a) The progress made in the five designated offices is contained in the table in (b)(ii) below.

(1)(b)(i) The main deliverable of the Proof of Concept (PoC) is an overlay of the selected sites onto an alternative network.

(1)(b)(ii) The following activities were planned to achieve this deliverable: -

(2) CSIR did not appoint any sub-contractors; nor are there sub-contractors involved in the project. However, three service providers were appointed through an RFQ procurement process by the Department of Home Affairs in support of the CSIR project. Please refer to the contracted values below: -

(3) The decision to deviate from the normal SCM processes and the SITA Act in the appointment of the CSIR was based on the fact the Department had requested SITA to appoint CSIR through a deviation process as the service is within the non-mandatory services to SITA, but SITA was advised by the National Treasury to let the Department transact directly with CSIR as the budget is from the Department. The Department then followed the deviation process due to the following:

• CSIR has an understanding and is familiar with the DHA IT environment;

• The project will assist with stabilising the IT environment and enable the Department to achieve its service delivery objectives; and

• The item is not a SITA mandatory service as it is intended to identify bottlenecks within the IT environment. Should the CSIR recommend new developments, SITA will be approached as the IT procurement agency of the State.

The Department operates in the security cluster and security considerations dictate the use of another Government entity / institution to conduct the systems downtime diagnostics rather than any bidder in the open market.

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Reply:

a) Qualifying South Africans born abroad may apply for Smart IDs in the country, as there is no live capture solution at the embassies.

b) The Department commenced on 5 December 2023 with the pilot project of issuance of Smart ID Cards to naturalised citizens. This process involves the verification of the issued naturalisation certificates. Communication through email, WhatsApp, and letters have been sent to naturalised citizens to visit any DHA office.

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Reply:

(a)(b) the DHA has 17 visa categories. The other categories are Critical, and General worker's visas have no backlog, however, the Spousal visa category backlog stands at 41083, which is section 11 (6).

The delays and backlogs are on two visa categories, they are section 11 (6) and Section 18. They are for spousal and relative visas respectively. The department experiences challenges concerning the legitimacy of relationships being claimed or cited in the application. It must be noted that some foreign nationals take advantage and follow corrupt methods to legitimise themselves, family members, friends, and others.

Fraudulent marriages, marriages of convenience, and a special category of cohabitation are unfortunately on the increase. The department has to prove the legitimacy of these relationships as well as their notarial contracts.

It is widely known that the department does not have sufficient capacity such as immigration officers who have to be tasked in investigating the authenticity of such relationships. Without proving the authenticity of such documents the department will end up issuing visas to people who do not deserve to be in the country.

(c) The average waiting period is stipulated in the DHA Service Delivery Charter which is available online. For example, the turnaround time for PRP is 8 months.

(d) In terms of Section 11 (1) (a) of the Immigration Act, provides that

(1) A visitor’s visa may be issued for any purpose other than those provided in sections 13 to 24, and subject to subsection (2), by the Director General in respect of a foreigner who complies with section 10A and provides the financial or other guarantees prescribed in respect of his or her departure, provided that such visa’ may not exceed three months and upon application may be renewed by the Director General for a further period which shall not exceed three months.

Further, applicants that have applied for extensions that are under consideration by the Department remain legal in the country pending finalisation of their applications. This is in line with our legislative prescripts as passed by the legislature.

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Reply:

a) Total number of deaths registered in the 2021-22 financial year in each province is: -

b) Total number of deaths registered in the 2022-23 financial year in each province is: -

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Reply:

(a & b) The information is tabulated below:

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Reply:

In my previous response I indicated that the Refugee Appeals Authority (RAASA) Backlog Project had 30 legally qualified members that were remunerated from the funding from the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR). Unfortunately, the number of members decreased to 22 later. Due to limited funding received from the UNHCR, the Backlog Project is currently left with only 10 members as the rest of the members’ (12) contracts of employment were terminated in December 2023.

The future plan is to have two (2) RAASA members stationed at each of the five (5) Refugees Centres in the Republic at all material times. This will in essence go a long way in preventing the recurrence of further backlogs.

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Reply:

1. The Department has 17 visa categories. As of 31 January 2024, the total number of Critical Skills, Business, and General Work Visas that form part of the annual performance plan have no backlogs.

The delays and backlogs are on two visa categories, they are section 11 (6) and Section 18. They are for spousal and relative visas respectively. The department experiences challenges regarding the legitimacy of relationships being claimed or cited in the application. It must be noted that some foreign nationals take advantage and follow corrupt methods to legitimise themselves, family members, friends, and others. The backlog in this category is 41083.

Fraudulent marriages, marriages of convenience, and a special category of cohabitation are unfortunately on the increase. The department has to prove the legitimacy of these relationships as well as their notarial contracts.

It is widely known that the department does not have sufficient capacity such as immigration officers who have to be tasked in investigating the authenticity of such relationships. Without proving the authenticity of such documents the department will end up issuing visas to people who do not deserve to be in the country.

2. The backlog plan aims to work on and finalise both the old and new applications to avoid creating another backlog with the latest applications/workflow.

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