Questions and Replies
13 August 2024 - NW152
Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) interventions have been made in the standardisation of services offered by all Home Affairs offices and (b) are the reasons that the rural offices such as the one in Dutywa, Eastern Cape, cannot print and/or take fingerprints, with residents having to travel an extra 60 km to Butterworth to do fingerprints?
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.
13 August 2024 - NW154
Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What are the reasons that (a) the New Hanover Home Affairs Office under the uMshwathi Local Municipality is always having a problem of its system being down and (b) no intervention has been made by his department by sending a mobile unit to ensure services are rendered?
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.
13 August 2024 - NW153
Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What are the (a) reasons that the Home Affairs office in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, which is amongst the busiest offices in the Eastern Cape, has no waiting rooms and toilets for clients, resulting in residents having to wait hours outside in the queue before getting assistance and (b) full details of immediate interventions that he intends to take in this regard?
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.
13 August 2024 - NW11
Gana, Mr M to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) What total number of (a) South African citizens over the age of 18 has never applied for identity documents (IDs) and (b) IDs remain uncollected at Home Affairs offices; (2) what is the breakdown of the total number of uncollected IDs in each province; (3) what are the (a) names and/or (b) location of the top 5 Home Affairs offices with the highest number of uncollected IDs; (4) what measures has his department taken to reach the applicants of uncollected IDs; (5) what total number of Home Affairs officials have been disciplined and/or fired for selling South African IDs to foreign nationals?
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:
Province |
ID Re-Issue |
ID 1st Issue |
Total |
Eastern Cape |
59158 |
21518 |
80676 |
Free State |
29254 |
11066 |
40320 |
Gauteng |
117404 |
29879 |
147283 |
Kwazulu Natal |
64528 |
20350 |
84878 |
Limpopo |
41502 |
16025 |
57527 |
Mobile Units |
7006 |
774 |
7780 |
Mobile Web Branch |
1972 |
2015 |
3987 |
Mpumalanga |
27804 |
9739 |
37543 |
North West |
28621 |
9719 |
38340 |
Northern Cape |
13407 |
5254 |
18661 |
Western Cape |
60666 |
16225 |
76891 |
TOTAL |
451322 |
142564 |
593886 |
(3)(a)&(b) The names and location of the top 5 Home Affairs offices with the highest number of uncollected IDs is as below:
|
|
NUMBER OF UNCOLLECTED IDs |
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
10468 |
Gauteng |
Johannesburg |
9205 |
Gauteng |
Akasia |
9006 |
Western Cape |
Cape Town |
8381 |
Gauteng |
Pretoria |
7939 |
(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
13 August 2024 - NW22
Smit, Mr CF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs [
(1) With reference to the unveiling of the 100 mobile Home Affairs offices on 7 May 2024 in Mokopane, what were the total costs for the (a) hire of the (i) marquee tent, (ii) tables, (iii) chairs, (iv) stage and (v) sound system and (b) advertisements and branding and (c) catering for the attendees; (2) what was the total cost of transport to get attendees to and from the venue; (3) what was the total number of (a) attendees who were catered for and (b) persons who actually attended the event on the day? NW23E
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.
13 August 2024 - NW21
Smit, Mr CF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) With reference to the unveiling of the 100 mobile Home Affairs offices on 7 May 2024 in Mokopane, what were the total costs of the (a) event and (b)(i) fuel and (ii) toll gate fees to transport the 100 trucks to and from Mokopane; (2) what were the total costs related to the drivers of the specified 100 trucks, including (a) wages, (b) subsistence and travel allowance, (c) accommodation, (d) meals, (e) total cost for the venue in Mahwelereng, (f) lease of the Mahwelereng Stadium and (g) any other related cost incurred?
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
05 August 2024 - NW72
Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What are the relevant details of the urgent steps that have been taken by his department to (a) reduce and (b) completely eradicate the backlog of birth registrations?
Reply:
a) The Department initiated a process to address and reduce Late Registration of Birth(LRB) through the following steps:
- By reviewing the legislation that deals with Late Registration of Birth.
- This was followed by stringent measures for those who visited the department to apply for this category of birth registration.
- 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.
29 July 2024 - NW78
Mogale, Mr T to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether, considering that the Lubisi Report exposed serious corruption in the issuing of visas and permits by his department, any recommendation of the report has been implemented; if not, why not; if so, what total number of visa applications have been (a) turned down due to corruption and (b) approved since the report was received
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.
29 July 2024 - NW77
Mogale, Mr T to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) What total (a) number of buildings are leased by his department from private owners and (b) amount is his department spending on each building lease per annum; (2) whether he will furnish Mr T P Mogale with a detailed list of all (a) leased buildings, (b) the names of the owners of each building and (c) the amounts paid for each building; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
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.
29 July 2024 - NW1
Zungula, Mr V to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) With reference to the extension to 31 December 2024 of the temporary visa concession for foreign nationals who are currently awaiting the outcome of visa, waiver and appeal applications, (a) how does the concession for foreign nationals align with the Government’s strategy to reduce unemployment and protect job opportunities for South Africans, especially in light of the Republic’s high rate of unemployment and (b) what (i) are the relevant details of the Skills Transfer Plan for foreign workers and (ii) specific measures and/or initiatives are in place to facilitate the transfer of valuable skills from foreign nationals to local South African employees; (2) what (a) measures does his department have in place to address issues of fraudulent visa issuances and ensure stringent audits to prevent abuse of immigration policies, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system and (b) steps does his department intend to take to tackle so-called visa shopping, where individuals move between visa categories to qualify for permanent residency, thereby creating backlogs and potentially exploiting loopholes in the system; (3) what are the full, relevant details of the beneficiaries of the visa concessions, categorised by their respective nationalities; (4) what measures does his department intend to implement to ensure that housing affordability remains within reach for South African citizens, particularly in high-demand areas such as Cape Town, given concerns about the impact of wealthy foreigners on local property markets? NW1E
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.
29 April 2024 - NW757
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) total number of identity documents have not been collected since 2014 and (b) interventions have been taken to ensure that identity documents are collected before 29 May 2024?
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.
29 April 2024 - NW186
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)Whether, with reference to his reply to question 4076 on 8 January 2024, his department received a memorandum from the State Attorney's office in Cape Town, in which the State Attorney raised concern about the flood of lawsuits due to his department’s inability to issue permits and visas expeditiously; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the further, relevant details in this regard; (2) what is the total breakdown of the visa categories that constitute the visa backlog of 95 000 applications?
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:
Temporary Residence Permit: Categories |
|
Row Labels |
31-Jan-24 |
Exchange Visa Section 22 |
9 |
Medical Treatment Section 17 |
1090 |
Relative's Visa (brother) Section 18 |
2609 |
Relative's Visa (major child) Section 18 |
3952 |
Relative's Visa (minor child) Section 18 |
9580 |
Relative's Visa (Parent) Section 18 |
2190 |
Relative's Visa (sister) Section 18 |
841 |
Relative's Visa (Spouse) |
18661 |
Retired Person Visa Section 20 |
1686 |
Study Visa Section 13 |
1751 |
Treaty Visa Section 14 |
49 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(1) |
1106 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(1)(b)(i) |
14 |
Visitor's Visa section 11(1)(b)(ii) |
2229 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(1)(b)(iii) |
191 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(1)(b)(iv) |
3883 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(2) |
1233 |
Visitor's Visa Section 11(6) |
41083 |
Grand Total |
92157 |
END
29 April 2024 - NW83
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) total number of court orders on visa matters brought by law firms and immigration practitioners on behalf of their clients have currently not been complied with within the court ordered deadline, (b) is the plan to remedy the backlog and (c) process has been put in place to ensure that (i) his department is aware of court orders against it and (ii) court orders are complied with within the court ordered timeframe?
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
17 April 2024 - NW783
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the total amount in Rand that his department has spent on litigation in the (a) past five financial years and (b) since 1 April 2023?
Reply:
(a) The total amounts spent on litigation in the past five financial years are set out in the table below:
Litigation |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
Private firms / Legal advisory services |
R3 705 014.84 |
R6 534 888.04 |
R8 133 418.97 |
R13 098 140.58 |
R37 125 379.29 |
Litigation / State Attorney / Legal advisory services |
R3 668 104.53 |
R68 627 682.00 |
R30 378 709.89 |
R59 539 803.93 |
R64 447 571.48 |
Total |
R7 373 119.37 |
R75 162 570.04 |
R38 512 128.86 |
R72 637 944.51 |
R101 572 950.77 |
(b) The amount spent on litigation since 1 April 2023 to 29 February 2024 is set out in the table below.
Litigation |
2023/24* |
Private firms / Legal advisory services |
R79 974 608.85 |
Litigation / State Attorney / Legal advisory services |
R37 718 387.48 |
Total |
R117 692 996.33 |
END.
17 April 2024 - NW235
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to the circular issued by the Acting Director-General of his department on 21 December 2023, what total number of short-term visa holders who applied for a visa extension on or before 30 November 2023, but have not yet received the outcome of their applications by 23 February 2024, would be expected to leave the Republic by 29 February 2024?
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.
17 April 2024 - NW680
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department will lay criminal charges against officials who resigned and were identified for potential unlawful activities; if not, why not; if so, how many cases have been brought against such officials at the SA Police Service?
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.
10 April 2024 - NW782
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) What were the total hours lost at Home Affairs offices in each province due to (a) load shedding and (b) system downtime (i) in the past five years and (ii) since 1 January 2024 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) what was the total percentage of uptime of the Home Affairs services system hosted by the State Information Technology Agency in each province (i) in the past five years and (ii) since 1 January 2024 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?
Reply:
1. The available information is attached as Annexure A.
2. The available information is attached as Annexure B.
END
10 April 2024 - NW237
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department considered any alternative mechanisms that would not impact the economy of the Republic before the issuance by the Acting Director-General of his department of a circular on 21 December 2023, which required tourists who wished to extend their stay in the Republic to leave by 29 February 2024 if they have not received a response to their applications to extend their short-term visas; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
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
10 April 2024 - NW826
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to the reply to question 490 on 14 March 2024, what (a) systems has (i) he and (ii) his department put in place to combat identity theft and (b) precautions are in place to prevent the involvement of officials of his department in identity theft?
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
10 April 2024 - NW709
Malatsi, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether he will furnish Mr M S Malatsi with a (a) list and (b) full description of all events planned by his department to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic, including the (i) projected total cost or expenditure of each event and (ii) breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for (aa) catering, (bb) entertainment, (cc) venue hire, (dd) transport and (ee) accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
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
03 April 2024 - NW188
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the total number of persons whose deportations were confirmed by a magistrate between 29 June 2019 and 30 October 2023, but were released due to issues with section 34 of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002?
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
03 April 2024 - NW531
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) total number of duplicate identity documents have been reported to his department in 2023 and (b) time frames were put in place to resolve the duplicates?
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
03 April 2024 - NW679
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the total number of officials (a) suspended, (b) facing disciplinary hearings, (c) criminally charged, (d) reported to the SA Police Service for investigation, (e) convicted, (f) resigned, (g) whose employment has been terminated, (h) still employed, (i) blacklisted and will never be employed by any organ of state and (j) are facing no disciplinary and/or criminal action against them since the last financial year to date?NW820E
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
03 April 2024 - NW756
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) are the reasons that (i) applicants for relative and/or spousal permits wait as long as two years for their permits and (ii) is the reason for the prolonged process and (b) number of applications for the specified permits has been outstanding in the past five years?
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
27 March 2024 - NW458
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What number of (a) suspected illegal foreign nationals have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year, (b) those arrested was released from custody because his department failed to confirm their immigration status within the required 48 hours and (c) illegal foreign nationals was deported were?
Reply:
- The number of suspected illegal foreign nationals that have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year is 32572.
- The number of the released illegal foreign nationals during quarter 3 from Lindela Repatriation Centre is 69.
- The number of deported foreign nationals is 5148.
END.
27 March 2024 - NW219
Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) Whether his department has very substantially solved the technical problems and the repeated downtime, especially as a result of the (a) glitches with the State Information Technology Agency mainframe affecting access to the National Population Register, (b) sluggishness of the live capture functionality at the counter leading to delays in processing transactions and (c) obsolescence of equipment contributing to system downtime and hindering efficient service provision; if not, why not, in each case; if so, (i) how exactly and (ii) to what extent are the technical problems being solved; (2) whether he will make a statement on (a)(i) how and (ii) to what extent systems are being modernised and (b) how the rendering of services is therefore being sped up; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
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.
27 March 2024 - NW678
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to the Multi-Disciplinary Task Team which was established to root out criminal behaviour within his department’s immigration services, what is the total number of officials identified to have allegedly committed unlawful and/or irregular activities or potential unlawful and/or irregular activities?
Reply:
- 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;
- Two (2) criminal referrals to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for investigation of potential unlawful activities.
END.
22 March 2024 - NW453
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What total number of asylum transit visas has his department issued in terms of Section 23 of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002, to asylum seekers in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial years?
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.
22 March 2024 - NW655
Tito, Ms LF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether he has been informed that the Home Affairs office in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State closes at 11:00 every morning due to downtime and water shortage, with members of the public being turned away without any assistance; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in this regard?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW387
Loate, Mr T to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)Whether, in view of the fact that the National Treasury did not have the money to assist his department to obtain more money in order to employ more staff to have a contingency of at least 60% to operate optimally in sorting out visa applications, his department employed innovative and speedy measures to fasttrack the applications for 35 000 visas of persons who had legitimate spouses in the Republic and wanted to come and live in the country and seek employment here as well; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) what are the reasons that legitimate foreign spouses of South African citizens cannot have their visa applications speedily processed?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW338
Engelbrecht, Mr J to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What are the full details of all (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes to (i) him, (ii) his department and (iii) officials of his department by any (aa) Qatari, (bb) Iranian and/or (cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident since 1 January 2021 up to the latest date in 2024 for which information is available?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW308
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With regard to the project to employ 10 000 graduates to digitise Home Affairs records, for every functional and operating office, (a) what are the respective locations of the offices where digitalisation will occur and (b) how many (i) graduates are currently employed in terms of the project and (ii) records have been digitised as at 31 August 2023?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW307
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(a) What total amount of office hours were lost due to (i) load shedding, (ii) office closures, (iii) water outages, (iv) system downtime and (v) no online verification scanners at health facilities in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year and (b) what was the total percentage of uptime of his department’s civic services system hosted by State Information Technology Agency?
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:
Month |
Reachability (Network) |
Availability (power) |
October 2023 |
92.71% |
95.07% |
November 2023 |
88.75% |
90.95% |
December 2023 |
92.34% |
94.17% |
END.
19 March 2024 - NW599
Malatsi, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to his reply to question 88 on 28 February 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by his department for (i) him and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW568
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With regard to the late registration of birth certificate applications in the 2022-23 financial year, what total number of applications were (a) lodged, (b) finalised and (c) of these applications, what number required DNA testing to prove parentage and (d) what was the average processing time of the applications?
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.
19 March 2024 - NW564
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Ms T A Khanyile (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) Whether he will furnish Ms T A Khanyile with the relevant detailed financial accounts of the revenue accrued from short-term visa applications processed in conjunction with VFS Global for the fiscal years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23, and (e) since 1 April 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of each specified period; (2) what are the relevant details of the financial arrangements and revenue-sharing model between his department and VFS Global regarding these transactions?
Reply:
1.The information is tabulated hereunder: -
(1) |
Financial year |
Revenue collected by VFS for visa applications |
(a) |
2019-20 |
R44 393 680.00 |
(b) |
2020-21 |
R19 932 830.00 |
(c) |
2021-22 |
R31 969 065.00 |
(d) |
2022-23 |
R33 754 185.00 |
(e) |
2023-24 (as at 31 January 2024, unaudited) |
R32 126 493.75 |
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.
19 March 2024 - NW459
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What was the (a) average number of persons detained (b) total budget spent and (c) total number of detainees released, because they had not been deported in time at the Lindela Repatriation Centre for the 2022-23 financial year?
Reply:
- The average number of persons detained is 9595.
- The total budget spent: R35 443 197-41 in 2022/23 financial year.
- 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.
19 March 2024 - NW222
Bongo, Adv BT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
Considering that corruption is one of the key areas the Government has prioritised to tackle, what progress has been made with the implementation of the recommendations of the (a) Lubisi Report and (b) Government Printing Works Ministerial Report?
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
19 March 2024 - NW185
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the current backlog of (a) asylum seekers awaiting status determination interviews, (b) asylum seekers who have appealed the status determination decision, and are awaiting a hearing with the refugee appeal authority, (c) asylum seekers who have submitted a review of their status determination decision to the standing committee of refugee affairs and are awaiting a decision, (d) refugees awaiting decisions on permanent residence applications and (e) foreign nationals awaiting permanent residence applications?
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
14 March 2024 - NW490
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What steps has his department taken to fight the increase of identity theft cases in the Republic, where innocent individuals are left in debt due to their identities being fraudulently issued by officials within his department to persons with ill intent who use it to open credit accounts?
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
14 March 2024 - NW457
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)What number of (a) new-comer asylum applications have been processed in each refugee reception centre from quarter 1 to quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year and (b) applications were (i) granted refugee status and (ii) rejected as (aa) unfounded and (bb) manifestly unfounded; (2) what number of (a) asylum files have been processed through the funded backlog project of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (b) the processed files have been granted refugee status and (c) backlog files processed have received a final rejection; (3) whether any of the rejected applications have been appealed through a judicial appeal at the high court; if not, why not; if so, what number from each refugee reception centre has been appealed through a judicial appeal?
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:
14 March 2024 - NW218
Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)Whether his department had solved the problem of long queues and denial of service on reaching the counter after a long time in the queue; if so, what (a) is the average waiting time for service, (b) measures are in place to check that those who are waiting in the queue will indeed be served without being asked to come back on another day, (c) was being done to ensure that the ticket allocation system is working smoothly and reliably 100% of the time, (d) control measures are in place to ensure that the system is the best it can be and (e) surveys are undertaken to ascertain any improvements should and must occur to satisfy the Batho Pele principle; if not, (i) which of the above are not being done and (ii) why; 2) what has been his findings on citizen satisfaction with the service provided by his department?
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.
END
08 March 2024 - NW232
Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
(1) With reference to his undertaking in his 2023-24 Home Affairs Budget Vote that his department had ordered 100 new mobile trucks to augment the ailing fleet of unused mobile units, what is the latest status report on the delivery and deployment of the new mobile service trucks; (2) whether the 100 new mobile services trucks have been operational since 1 January 2024; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
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.
END
08 March 2024 - NW82
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)What (a) progress has been made by the Council for Scientific and Industry Research (CSIR) on the development of an IT system for his department in five designated offices to address network challenges and (b) are the (i) main deliverables and (ii) due dates for each deliverable; (2) whether there are any sub-contractors involved in the project; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full details of (a) the sub-contractors and (b) their contract value; (3) what are the reasons that the project did not go out on open tender?
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: -
Activity |
Responsible party |
Due date |
PoC site selection |
CSIR + DHA |
31 May 2023 (completed) |
Physical PoC site surveys |
CSIR |
30 June 2023 (completed) |
Procurement guidelines |
CSIR + DHA |
30 June 2023 (completed) |
PoC site connection |
DHA |
30 June 2024 (in progress) – connections taking place in parallel, last site planned to be connected on 30 June 2024 |
Reporting |
CSIR |
30 September 2024 (in progress) |
(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: -
Service Provider |
Scope of Work |
Contract value |
Dark Fiber |
Provide Fibre link with no services or data line (Dark fiber), as the standard to the following offices: Menlyn, Soshanguve, Umgeni, Wynberg and Potchefstroom; which terminate on an Optical Distribution Frame on either end of the link (ODF-to-ODF). |
R2,896,918.00 |
Service Provider |
Scope of Work |
Contract value |
Liquid Tech |
Provide Fibre link with no services or data line (Dark fiber), with fibre class G652D as the standard to King Shaka International Airport which terminate on an Optical Distribution Frame on either end of the link (ODF-to-ODF). |
R3,078,829.00 |
CBX Tech |
Provide and install Nokia SAS-M 24F switch, with dual power supply (1 year Next business day onsite warranty) for the six sites. |
R696,658.00 |
(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.
END
08 March 2024 - NW236
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
What progress has been made by his department to facilitate the issuing of Smart Identity Documents to (a) South Africans born abroad and (b) naturalised citizens since the undertaking of the Director-General of his department during the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on 10 October 2023?
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.
END
07 March 2024 - NW28
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) is the current backlog of visa processing since 1 January 2023, (b) is the breakdown of the specified backlog in each visa category, (c) is the average waiting period for each visa category and (d) are the reasons that visitors are not allowed to extend their visas past the initial 90 days granted?
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.
END
07 March 2024 - NW161
Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the total number of deaths registered in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial years in each province?
Reply:
a) Total number of deaths registered in the 2021-22 financial year in each province is: -
PROVINCE |
TOTAL |
EASTERN CAPE |
81649 |
FREE STATE |
35399 |
GAUTENG |
122328 |
HEAD OFFICE |
10209 |
KWAZULU-NATAL |
100300 |
LIMPOPO |
56346 |
MPUMALANGA |
38570 |
NORTH WEST |
35297 |
NORTHERN CAPE |
19883 |
WESTERN CAPE |
67828 |
TOTAL |
567809 |
b) Total number of deaths registered in the 2022-23 financial year in each province is: -
PROVINCE |
TOTAL |
EASTERN CAPE |
73184 |
FREE STATE |
27677 |
GAUTENG |
109770 |
KWAZULU-NATAL |
87070 |
LIMPOPO |
46226 |
MPUMALANGA |
31377 |
NORTH WEST |
27082 |
NORTHERN CAPE |
15337 |
WESTERN CAPE |
55775 |
TOTAL |
473498 |
END.
07 March 2024 - NW250
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
What is the total number of officials of his department who have been (a) caught and (b) prosecuted for corruption, such as selling documents, and/or working with syndicates from 1 January 2019 until the latest specified date for which information is available?
Reply:
(a & b) The information is tabulated below:
Year |
Number of Cases received |
Arrests |
Convictions |
2019 - 2020 |
283 |
6 |
None |
2020 – 2021 |
193 |
5 |
None |
2021 – 2022 |
232 |
27 |
01 |
2022 – 2023 |
206 |
48 |
09 |
2023 – 2024 |
266 |
40 |
02 |
END
07 March 2024 - NW278
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether, with reference to his reply to question 3898 on 21 December 2023, his department has any plans, other than the funding from the European Union, to capacitate the Refugee Appeal Authority of South Africa to work through the remaining backlog of appeals; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
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.
END
07 March 2024 - NW184
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)Whether, with reference to his reply to question 4076 on 8 January 2024, in which he did not provide the details of the backlog of processing applications for temporary residence visas, he will furnish Ms T A Khanyile with full details of the current backlog of processing applications for temporary residence visas as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) (a) what exactly is meant by “moving” the older Temporary Residency Visa applications from 2022 concurrently with the current applications of 2023 and (b) how will that assist in dealing with the backlog?
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.
END