Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers present and guests in the gallery, to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of our Constitution. Does anybody really think that they didn't get what they have because they didn't have the talent or the strength, or the endurance or the commitment?
The Department of Home Affairs is like a child's life. A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark. One does not need a scientific instrument to measure the speed and quality service rendered by the department.
In May 2008, South Africa witnessed horrendous violence directed at foreigners - some of whom had lived in the country for decades. Lives and properties were destroyed and thousands were displaced. Against this background, it is important to be vigilant about any evidence of a resurgence of xenophobia against African immigrants.
Regrettably, after the 2010 Fifa World Cup there were disturbing signs that the sordid events of 2008 may happen again. In February 2009, seven Zimbabweans, four men and three women, were found dead in a shack in an informal settlement in De Doorns near Worcester, Western Cape. It was clear that the shack had been set alight while the occupants were inside.
This heartbreaking incident laid bare the ethnic tension within the small De Doorns community, with the Xhosa-speaking residents and Sotho-speaking residents accusing each other of being responsible for the murder. The Zimbabweans attributed it to xenophobia.
Reports of people given open toilets in Khayelitsha, harassed, assaulted and even killed in other parts of the Western Cape are again on the increase. [Interjections.] The Western Cape provincial government must admit it has forced the nation to look at the open toilet system through racial lenses. [Interjections.]
The Department of Home Affairs is committed to fighting and eradicating xenophobia. The Department of Home Affairs has often stated that xenophobia is a serious human rights issue. It is rife, and needs to be condemned and combated.
Recent events in the Western Cape underscore the need for government to do more to protect the migrant community living in South Africa. The phenomenon of migration should also be seen in its broader context. Human migration: the movement of people from their usual places of residence to another has been with societies for as long as they have existed. Migration may be between districts, provinces or countries.
Meanwhile, xenophobia is generally understood to be an irrational fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers, manifesting itself in the form of prejudice, discrimination or racism. South Africa has a long experience with human migrants. Over the years, significant numbers of fellow Africans have moved to the country and settled in South Africa. Indications are that this trend will continue.
Many immigrants bring with them important skills that South Africa needs. They are often creative people who are full of initiative, who are driven by an enterprising spirit and who tend also to impart these skills, enriching local communities. This is not always appreciated by some elements within society, and the temptation to give in to prejudice and discrimination often prevails. It has been observed in the past ...
... ukuthi abanye bethu eNingizimu Afrika bayakhohlwa imfudumalo nokuvikeleka esakuthola kwamanye amazwe ngezikhathi ezinzima nezibuhlungu zobandlululo. [... that some of us in South Africa forget the warmth and safety we received from other countries during the painful and hard times of the apartheid era.]
We have identified xenophobia as a major source of concern to human rights and democracy in the country.
A solution has been identified that combines legislation, education programmes and partnerships to deal with this scourge, to mention but a few aspects that create opportunities for integration. According to research, people who have never gone beyond South Africa's borders tend to be more xenophobic owing to a lack of integration.
The history of South African immigration policy shows a number of recurrent themes. The various immigration Acts passed between 1913 and 1991 were, in essence, products of racism, anti-Semitism and segregation. The case of De Doorns is indeed an early warning of recurring xenophobia in South Africa and should serve as a wake-up call.
Service delivery is improving in the Department of Home Affairs. [Applause.] The Department of Home Affairs is responsible and ensures service delivery, access and quality in order to achieve, amongst other things, the following: the registration of every child birth within 30 days; the issuing of identity documents to every South African 16 years and older; integrated key systems and upgraded IT infrastructure for improved security and data integrity; improved turnaround times for all services, queuing times and unit costs per service; and reduced maximum distance for a citizen to travel to access Home Affairs' services.
The department is determined to facilitate the registration of the birth of every citizen in the National Population Register, and to ensure the reliability of the register. According integrity to the Department of Home Affairs and the National Population Register is a means ensuring the following ends: citizens' access to rights and services and active participation in the formal economy; effectively fighting poverty and underdevelopment through, inter alia, grants and improved planning; effectively managing immigration and enhanced security; and efficient, cost- effective and secure service delivery if the National Population Register is linked to biometrics like photographs and fingerprints.
The top priority is ensuring that every South African is given secure identity and citizenship that is his or her birthright, won through bitter struggles and great sacrifices - so further allocation to the aforementioned programme is more than justified. However, the budget contraction cannot, in the context of the aforementioned, be justified.
But it is next to impossible to justify the 55% contraction of the immigration services budget, given the current objective reality. Push and pull factors favour the rise of immigration to the Republic. Immigration has inherent opportunities and threats, which need to be attended to.
It is indeed trite to mention that having elected to execute the new economic growth path, South Africa needs skilled personnel to drive such growth. Whilst it is impossible to produce such skills internally, an external injection of skills into the economy is more than desirable.
I would like to conclude by stating that the Department of Home Affairs is both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us as the democratic, nonracial and nonsexist government. We understand that there is still no easy road to freedom. The department is working very closely with other government departments, such as the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, etc, because we well know that none of us acting alone can achieve success. As we head towards the ANC centenary, we must all say: "Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world." [Applause.]
Ngokubambisana singenza izwe lakithi libe elivikelekile neliphephile. [Together we can make our country safe and secure.]
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]