Speaker, I am sure that the hon Ramatlakane is aware that he has gone well beyond the question that was posed to me.
Nevertheless, let me say that the current backlog we have of residence permit applications that we need to process stands at 18 772 files. As I said, one file sometimes consists of many persons that are associated with the principal applicant. So, that is the backlog as it stands at the moment.
With respect to corrupt practices, the hon member will be aware that we have arrested persons, we have changed regulatory frameworks, and we have amended legislation in order to address some of the fraudulent practices.
However, I believe that we will achieve success when we've got a national population register that has integrity, when we have registered all children within 30 days of birth, and when we have ensured that all children of 16 years and over get an ID at an early stage of their life, so that when they register to study they have our identity smartcard - I hope from this year.
I think that when we have a smartcard with a full set of biometrics, it will help us to more appropriately "track and trace" individuals and monitor whether the persons who apply for services are actually persons with legal status in South Africa and are not engaging in any negative fraudulent practices.
Position regarding reinstatement of sexual offences courts
17. Mrs D A Schfer (DA) asked the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development: With reference to the recommendation made by the task team for the reinstitution of the sexual offences courts, (a) can he confirm that the courts will be reinstated and (b) what (i) plans are in place and (ii) is the timeframe for the reinstatement?