No problem. [Laughter] I was thinking that standing and crying on the podium, crying, mourning, hauling and winching won't solve the problems that we have here. As it has been said already that whilst under apartheid, the main objective of the Department of Home Affairs was to control black people and deny them their citizenship, identity, dignity and freedom of movement. Ours
is to ensure that every South African especially the poor, experience an improvement in their quality of life. [Applause]
With everything having been said by those comrades who spoke before me, I'm singling out comrades, not everybody that spoke. It might be appropriate in relation to this topic, to start with this poem by Taonga Zulu, it reads as follows:
Born 2 000 km North, Travelled to the South Shores, Heart planted in South Africa. However, division was planted before, This foreign concept of borders, People ironically adore. Heart planted in South Africa, But born 2 000 km North, So a foreigner. Who were we Before someone else decided We were other?
It's a gift to be born of a people, whose wonderful heritage stretches so far, if you do not get service from Home Affairs, you have nowhere to go. We are Africans; Africa remembers who you are.
Chairperson, the mandate mends the transformation of Home Affairs into a modern, digital, secure custodian of national identity, responding to the present and future needs and circumstances, and run by professionals, operating in a highly secure environment to protect the records of the nation within the government systems. In line with the NDP, Home Affairs makes four critical contributions to the nation, enabling economic development; contributing to national security; enabling effective service delivery; and supporting governance and administration.
At the ANC 54th National Conference, the ANC committed itself to the positioning of Home Affairs to be the backbone of security, service delivery and the developmental state. Under the Apartheid regime, the main objective of the Department of Home Affairs was to control our people and deny them the right to citizenship, identity, and freedom of movement among other injustices.
With utmost pride and humility, the department has been transformed and services are delivered efficiently and effectively. While
immigration is about the enforcement of laws, rules, and regulations, it is of critical and strategic importance that it be anchored and aligned to the promotion of economic development, jobs creation and trade investments in South Africa and within the SADC Region, the African countries and the rest of the world.
Chairperson, the development state must be built in a better Africa and a better world. The imperative is therefore to balance the need for economic, cultural and social development of the country against its security needs and the integrity of our state and society. Security must include security of the country, communities and each individual including foreigners and immigrant communities who are part of South Africa. Social cohesion includes the integration of immigrant communities into South African life to enrich and grow the society.
Chairperson, I also think to myself about ports of entry and people who are working in these ports. What would happen if they stop working? I also think how the Apartheid regime instituted coup d'tat in Lesotho, just by stopping work at the ports.
I also remember when bakeries from South Africa would deliver bread every morning to Swaziland; the bakeries would be queuing at the
borders. What would have happened if there was a stoppage of services at the port of entry? Swaziland received from chappies to mielie mielie from South Africa... [Laughter], everyday the bakeries where queuing at the borders. As our Deputy Minister has said if one doesn't or can't have services that are supplied by the Home Affairs, there is nowhere else that they can get services.
The implementation of an E-Visa regime by the Department of Home Affairs, which is at functional testing stage, expected to be implemented out in July 2019 and full production by early November 2019 is a serious enabler for tourism growth. This World Class Visa regime as we said will provide for easy, efficient, yet secure access to the country for visitors. This system will enable tourists to apply for their visa's online resulting to a quicker turnaround time on visa adjudication. This will bolster our tourism figures and create new Economic and Job opportunities for the youth in particular.
Madam Chairperson, I would also like to say that, in terms the port of entries, I always wonder why Home Affairs is not taken as people doing essential work. I have already said that if the port is closed for Swaziland and Lesotho, then we are talking about people's life. Essential service means that when people's live are affected, some
of these things must be taken as essential services which something that need to be debated and maybe a decision taken on that. We definitely as the ANC without any doubt support this Budget Vote.