In memoriam: Mama Albertina Sisulu
Today, we join multitudes of our people throughout the country in lowering our banners in solemn memory of that stalwart in the struggle for peace, freedom and democracy.
For Home Affairs in particular, we are fond of her contribution in the struggle for the restoration of the identity and citizenship to all our people through her involvement and participation in the women’s march to Union Buildings in 1956 against the pass laws as integral part of the broader struggle for the emancipation of our people.
As a department is it our hope that we will in our daily work uphold the legacy of MaSisulu by continuing to render quality services, such as the ongoing issuance of ID’s to our peopleas part of national efforts to create a better life. Accordingly, the thoughts and prayers of our department reach out to the entire Sisulu family during this hour of need.
Reports of the turning away of a 70 year old from our offices in Limpopo
Our Minister, Dr Nkosana Dlamini Zuma and indeed our department was distressed to learn of the turning away from our offices in Limpopo of a 70 year old lady, Paulinah Ragatji, by one of our officials where she had presented herself to apply for an ID and was told to bring her parents to prove her nationality.
We extend our unreserved apology to Mama Paulinah Ragatji and pledge to do everything in our power to ensure she receives the ID which she so rightfully deserves and is entitled to, as soon as possible. In this regard, processes are already underway to assist her to acquire this basic document.
We condemn in the strongest terms the reported conduct and behaviour of the home Affairs official implicated and commit to investigating the matter with a view to instituting the necessary disciplinary proceedings.
It is our conviction that every citizen, particularly senior citizens, have a right to be treated with dignity and respect by our officials, not as a privilige, but as part of the hard-earned freedoms that our people today enjoy. Accordingly, we will not tolerate such appalling disrespect of all people by such uncaring officials in the employ of the state.
30th anniversary of June 16
Next week, Thursday, the country will be marking the 30th anniversary of the June 16 upheavals in 1976. The department will be participating in a number of services planned to mark this day.
Within the context of the National Population Registration Campaign, launched by President Jacob Zuma and our Minister, we take this opportunity to call on the youth of our country who are 16 years and above, to apply for their ID’s.
In pursuance of this objective, the department will be deploying a number of mobile units across the country home to venues earmarked for such commemoration services to provide home affairs services to those who may require them. At the main national commemoration venue, Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, the department will deploy four mobile units for this purpose.
We urge our youths to take advantage of these resources that the department will be deploying at various commemoration venues to apply for an ID considered by us as a passport to a better life.
Home Affairs strategic plan 2012/15
Departments are required to produce strategic plans for a three-year cycle which governs the strategic thrust of the department for the period. This also assists with obtaining the required funding from National Treasury to ensure the availability of funds to meet our strategic objectives.
In this regard, some of the areas covered in the Department’s Strategic Plan includes:
- Progress in the area of the management of civics
- Priorities and the way forward in terms of immigration
- Progress with regard to the department’s counter-corruption strategy
Our strategic plan is also aligned to the way in which the department supports the 12 outcomes of government. In this regard, we provide direct support to ensuring government achieves objectives 3, 5 and 12:
Objective 3
All people in South Africa are and feel safe
Output: Securing the identity and status of citizens
Targets:
- Completion of all strategic information and identification projects within already defined budgets and time frames
- Effective and efficient refugee management strategies and systems
Objective 5
A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path.
Targets:
- In contributing to the level of skills and general economic development in South Africa targets need to be set to realise a positive skills migration trend of around 50,000 migrants annually
- Focus should be on critical skills shortages, supportive of the medium term strategies and outcomes adopted by government
Objective 12
An efficient, effective and development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship
Output: Service delivery access and quality
Targets:
- The registration of every child birth within 30 days of delivery
- The issuing of identity documents to every South African 16 years and above
- Turnaround times for all services, queuing times and unit costs per service
- The maximum distance for a citizen to travel to access Home Affairs services
In addition to our alignment with the broader processes of government, we also have three of our own strategic priorities, as outlined below:
Department of Home Affairs (DHA) outcome: Secured South African citizenship and identity
- To ensure that registration at birth is the only entry point for South Africans to the National Population Register (NPR)
- To secure processes and systems to combat fraud and corruption
- To increase capacity to contribute to the fight against cyber crime
DHA outcome: Immigration managed effectively and securely in the national interest including economic, social and cultural development
- To implement effective and efficient asylum seeker and refugee management strategies and systems
- To facilitate the movement of regular travellers across neighbouring borders
Cross cutting objectives:
- To ensure ethical conduct and a zero tolerance approach to corruption
- To integrate key systems and upgrade IT infrastructure for improved security and data integrity
DHA outcome: Immigration managed effectively and securely in the national interest including economic, social and cultural development
- To review the policy and regulatory framework to manage economic migration
- Development of policy options for managing the migration of skilled and unskilled migrants
- Focus will be a responsive, proactive and secure permitting regime, which is essential to managing economic migration
- To facilitate the movement of regular travellers across neighbouring borders
DHA outcome: A service that is efficient, accessible and corruption free
- To ensure children are registered within 30 days after birth
- To issue Identity Documents to every South African 16 years and above
- To ensure efficient and accessible service delivery to clients
- To integrate key systems and upgrade IT infrastructure for improved security and data integrity
- To ensure ethical conduct and a zero tolerance approach to corruption
- To develop and implement service delivery standards to improve operational efficiency
- To conduct a customer satisfaction survey
Delivery Agreements
The DHA will also be participating in the implementation of Delivery Agreements from other Clusters, including the Social Cluster.
The Delivery Agreements will enable the department and our partners to collectively achieve government objectives in a structured and co-coordinated manner. There are also Memorandums of Understanding between the Departments of Home Affairs and Health and Basic Education respectively, in addition to signed Delivery Agreements
The following are the salient areas relating to Home Affairs:
Health: Cooperation on birth and death registrations, including the provision of statistics.
Education: Cooperation on the registration of learners and ensuring that those 16 years and above apply for IDs.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Manusha Pillai
Cell:082 389 3587
