Ladies and gentlemen of the media, before we begin, may I express my appreciation on behalf of Home Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan, and Director-General Mkuseli Apleni and his management team for your unwavering support in attending our weekly media briefings this entire year.
In our last formal briefing for the year, we would like to brief you on issues related to the graduation ceremony of 350 newly trained immigration officers scheduled for Monday 19 December 2011 and the Department’s operational plan over the festive season.
Graduation Ceremony of 350 Immigration Officers
Members of the media will recall that Minister Dlamini-Zuma in October this year announced the Department would be laterally transferring 350 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officers to the Department of Home Affairs, who would be trained as immigration officers.
Minister Dlamini Zuma further announced that we had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Cuba to enable Cuban trainers to assist with the training of these newly recruited officers.
The newly trained immigration officers have been earmarked for deployment to our national key point, OR Tambo International Airport.
Following their deployment to OR Tambo International Airport, the current immigration officers would be part of the first ever South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited programme to reskill and retrain Home Affairs officials in line with the Department’s vision of becoming a centre of excellence of which committed, patriotic and dedicated cadres are an essential component. These officials would then be deployed to other areas in the Department.
In this regard, we are today pleased to announce that the 350 newly trained immigration officers will be graduating from their programme on Monday 19 December 2011, following which they will be deployed to OR Tambo International Airport.
We will thereafter commence with the training of the current immigration officers.
Members of the media have been invited to be part of this momentous occasion for the Department and we trust you will be able to take time off your busy schedules to join us on Monday 19 December 2011.
Department’s Festive Season Operational Plan
It is also that time of the year when most South Africans take time off their daily lives and hectic schedules for the annual festive season.
With a view to ensuring the Department of Home Affairs can contribute to making your holiday as smooth as possible, while also facilitating the expeditious movement of foreign nationals who may be visiting our beautiful country, we will be implementing an operational plan which includes extended operating hours at some ports of entry as well as the deployment of additional human resources.
In this regard, an additional 154 staff will be deployed to some ports of entry while an assessment of others has indicated the present staff deployments are sufficient.
The Maseru, Lebombo and Kwa-Zulu Natal ports of entry will therefore receive an additional 55, 78 and 21 staff members respectively. The deployments are effective from today Thursday 15 December.
In addition, we are pleased to announce that in preparation for an effective and efficient movement facilitation of persons during the festive season, the stakeholders at ports of entry and the countries sharing borders with South Africa have agreed to an extension of operating hours.
Accordingly, the Lebombo, Oshoek, and Catedonspoort Ports of Entry have been operating for 24 hours from 1 December 2011 and will continue until 16 January 2012.
Other ports of entry with extended hours are detailed hereunder:
Mpumalanga province:
Port of entry: Mahamba
Current hours: 07h00-22h00
Date: 22-24 December 2011
Hours extended to: 07h00 - 00h00
Port of entry - Mananga
Current hours - 07h00-18h00
Date - 22-24December 2011
Hours extendedto: 07h00-20h00
Port of entry: Jeppes Reef
Current hours 07h00-20h00
Date: 22-24Dec 2011
Hours extended to: 07h00-22h00
Free State province:
Port of Entry: Caledonspoort
Current Hours: 06h00-22h00
Date: 9-13 January 2012
Hours Extended to: 06h00 – 00h00
Port of Entry: Van Rooyenshek
Current Hours: 06h00 – 22h00
Date: 22-23 December 2011
Hours Extended to: 06h00 – 00h00
Port of Entry: Van Rooyenshek
Current Hours: 06h00 – 22h00
Date: 24 Dec 2011 - 9 January 2012
Hours Extended to: 06h00-00h00
Eastern Cape province:
Port of Entry: Qacha's Nek
Current Hours: 07h00 - 20h00
Date: 22-24 December 2011
Hours Extended to: 06h00 - 22h00
Port of Entry: Gacha's Nek
Current Hours: 07h00 - 20h00
Date: 25 December 2011
Hours Extended to: 06h00 – 22h00
Port of Entry: Tellebridge
Current Hours: 07:00-20:00
Date: 17-25 December 2011
Hours Extended to: 06h00 – 20h00
We would like to conclude this final briefing of the year by wishing all of you, your families and loved ones, a safe and blessed festive season. We wish you a prosperous 2012 and look forward to a fruitful working relationship in the year ahead when working together, we can do more to ensure better lives for all our citizens.
I thank you!
