NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 918
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 18 March 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 8)
Ms E More (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether he has been informed that no health professional categories
are listed in the scarce skills register of the Department of Home
Affairs; if not, why not; if so, what does he intend to about it;
(2) whether his department has ever in the past five financial years
provided the Department of Home Affairs information with regard to the
vacancy rate for health professionals within his department; if so,
(a) on what dates and (b) what was his departmentâs response in each
case?
NW1035E
REPLY:
1) No, there is no need for the Department to make use of the provision
of Section 19(1) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (as amended in 2004) to
apply for a quota work permit as there are adequate provisions in
Section 19(2) of Act as well as the subsequent sections to allow the
Department to employ foreign health professionals with scarce skills
in the South African Public Health Sector. The Minister of Home
Affairs decided to grant a waiver of the following prescribed
requirements in terms of Section 31(b) of the Immigration Act:
a) The requirements to submit proof of qualifications evaluated by
the South African Qualifications Authority, in respect of work
permit applications;
b) Proof of publication of an advertisement in the national media,
in respect of work and permanent residence permits; and
c) Certification by the Department of Labour, in respect of work
permits.
2) No.
END.