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?
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
(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?
(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
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?
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 ...
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?
(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
What is the current status of the backlog and/or delays of the (a) processing and (b) issuing of visas as at 1 February 2024?
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 251
DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2024
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 – 2024
251.Ms L L van der Merwe (IFP) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs: [51] [Question submitted for oral reply now placed for written reply because it is more than quota (Rule 137(8))]
What is the current status of the backlog and/or delays of the (a) processing and (b) issuing of visas as at 1 February 2024? NO283E
REPLY:
(a) (b) 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 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. 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.
END
(a) (b) 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 ...
With regard to the address by the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa, on 18 September 2019, wherein he alluded to the public’s frustration stemming from the tendency to disregard South Africans for employment in preference of foreign nationals to undercut wages, what steps have been taken by his department since the President’s address to investigate (a) the status of visas awarded to foreign nationals to work in the Republic and (b) those who have obtained documents visas and/or identity documents illegally?
a) There are two processes in the Department that deal with status of visas awarded to foreign nationals to work in the Republic. The first process is ongoing and is handled by Counter-corruption branch of the Department. The branch benefits a lot from tip-offs by members of the public
The second process is that in February last year, after learning how Bushiri obtained his ...
(1) Whether, with reference to the contract of VFS Global for the management of visa and permit applications, which will expire in December 2022, the bids for project manager and transaction advisor have been issued and awarded; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the remaining procurement steps and timelines that are in place in order to ensure a new public-private partnership service provider will take over from 1 January 2023;
(2) what is the reason for the lack of an alternative review process other than a formal appeal via VFS even if an application was rejected due to a mistake on the side of his department?
(1) The tender inviting bids for the appointment of transaction advisory services to conduct a feasibility study and public private partnership (PPP) procurement for visa and permit application centre services for a period of three years is currently on the Home Affairs website and will be closing on 25 February 2022.
The bid specifications for the appointment of a project officer for the management ...
(1) What is the current outstanding number of identity documents (IDs) to be collected from his department by citizens;
(2) Are any IDs being destroyed by his department; if not, why not; if so, what are the reasons;
(3) What is the current quantity of documents earmarked for distribution by his department around the Republic in each of the nine provinces;
(4) Whether he has found that the collection of IDs in each province is satisfactory; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) Whether there is any delay in the collection of IDs; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1386E
1. Currently there are 389 574 uncollected ID documents.
2. Yes, the ID’s are being destroyed by the Department, if the client was issued with a new ID or the client is deceased.
3. Currently ± 15 000 ID documents are distributed per day.
4. Not Satisfactory. The Department has dedicated counters for collection however clients delay to collect their ID documents after receiving ...
(1) What are the basic requirements for asylum seekers to obtain a waiver certificate;
(2) whether any personnel and/or agency is appointed to guide asylum seekers who want to legalise their stay in the Republic; if not, whether he will consider appointing such personnel and/or agency; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether he can provide a detailed list of (a) the number of asylum centres and its addresses and contact details that currently exist in the Republic, (b) any and/or reasonable shelters that were erected and/or provided for asylum seekers by her department, (c) the number of asylum seekers and/or residency permit holders who have received full birth certificates and (d) asylum applications being rejected due to fraudulent documents;
(4) whether any security personnel is provided at asylum centres; if so, (a) where and (b) what are the relevant details;
(5) whether any difficulty in obtaining a full birth certificate for any asylum seeker has been eradicated; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The departmental legislation does not make provision for ‘waiver certificate’ as stated above. Rather, the department will issue an asylum transit visas to new asylum applicants that declare their intention to apply for asylum on arrival at designated ports of entry. The basic requirement is that a person must declare the intention to apply for asylum.
2. The department has personnel appointed at ...
