Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members, guests, government entities, the Independent Electoral Commission, the Film and Publication Board, the Government Printing Works, the Department of Home Affairs is one of those departments that had it had measles, it would have passed away a while ago. Two years ago, I said that this department was challenged by kwashiorkor, and that really shows that the challenges are big.
The narrow definition of the increase in identity documents,IDs,that the Minister attributes to people applying for IDs for the second time is really misleading. I see that the ANC has nothing else to say about their own campaign, but are simply talking about the narrow, chauvinistic, racial agenda of toilets in Khayelitsha. It is nonsense! [Interjections.] How do you define a 700% increase for an ID
Xa ubiza imali engange-R140 ebantwini, esuka kuma-R20 uthi mabayithathephi imali engaka? [When you ask people to pay an amount of R140, increased from R20, where do you think they will get it?]
There is also the increase for passport costs of more than 100%, to R400. How do you explain that to South Africans? [Interjections.]
The people of South Africa are not happy with the services of this department. The registration of new births is in a shambles. Last week I received an e-mail from the principal of the Chris Hani High School in Khayelitsha. [Interjections.] He wrote that he had applied for a birth certificate for his child in February, and had tried everything possible, but until now nothing has been forthcoming. [Interjections.] Now, tell me, where is the success in that department?
Hon Minister, I want to state that a department that cares is never like this. If you say that the Department of Home Affairs cares for the poor, then I can tell you that many South Africans disagree with you. [Interjections.]
uMakhulu omdala ohlala ngaphaya ezilalini - uyabona kulaa ndawo ndihlala kuyo eMatyeba, kuTsolo - oza kusuka elalini aye kufaka isicelo sesazisi eMthatha, xa efika phaya kuthiwe makahlawule i-R140, kodwa uhambe iiyure ezimbini ukuya kufika phaya kwiSebe lezeMicimbi yeKhaya, noko ngamanyala aluhlaza lawo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[An old lady who lives in a village - you see, in the village where I come from, Matyeba, in Tsolo - will travel to Mthatha to apply for an ID, and on arrival is asked to pay R140, where she has travelled for two hours to get to the Department of Home Affairs; that is a serious disgrace.]
The price increases for IDs and passports is a violation of human rights and an assault on the Constitution. It further undermines the dignity of our people. [Interjections.]