Deputy Speaker, the answer to the question is yes. The department will endeavour to fill the existing vacancies as a matter of priority and it is also reprioritising posts between the different refugee centres throughout the country. In this regard, the department hopes to shorten the turnaround times in relation to the filling of natural attrition posts at the various reception centres. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, currently it takes up to two years or longer to approve or turn down applications for refugee status, which has various implications as refugee applicants are allowed to work and live in South Africa in the meantime. However, we need to acknowledge that our resources are limited and, thus, we can only operate within a particular fiscal framework. Therefore, Deputy Minister, what steps have been taken in the Ministry to speed up status determination and the deportation of those whose applications have been turned down? Thank you.
Deputy Speaker and hon members, various efforts have been made in this regard. The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs would know that one of the things that we are doing and have already achieved is a faster turnaround time when it comes to newly arrived asylum seekers to our centres. It no longer takes up to two years to process those applications, particularly if they are manifestly unfounded applications. In addition, I am happy to report that there is sufficient and pleasing progress in this regard; we can outline the initiatives when we have more time. Perhaps the portfolio committee will invite us to address this issue in more detail.
Deputy Speaker, I was hoping that the Deputy Minister would beef up the answer to the initial question. My question is with regard to South Africa having the world's highest number of annual individual asylum applications, numbering approximately 250 000, with the next country being the United States at approximately 53 000 annually. In addition, we only have five reception centres in the country, which means that on average each centre is processing about 50 000 applications annually. This is about more than just the turnaround time; it is also about reducing the backlog that continues to grow all the time. What plans are in place and within what timeframe will you or your department deal with this dire situation so that we can get up to date and process the current applications? Thank you very much.
Deputy Speaker, I would very much like to engage members of the House on this issue which I think should receive more attention than it has previously. As indicated, one of the things that we are doing is to ensure that we process the application, because that is what the question is about. The other endeavours would be in relation to seeking to have bilateral agreements with other countries that are also signatories to the same conventions and have the same obligations as we do when it comes to asylum seekers, but, which, nevertheless, allow asylum seekers to pass through their countries to South Africa, thus avoiding placing any obligations on themselves. That would be yet another initiative we hope to embark upon, but that is taking us away from the essence of the question. As I have said, I am very happy to speak to the portfolio committee on this issue and give more detail. Thank you.
Madam Deputy Speaker, Deputy Minister, somehow the hands of South Africa are tied because our legislation must reflect the contents of the Geneva Convention, which is over 50 years old and which was created for a different environment and for different reasons. As the hon De Freitas correctly pointed out, we are the one country in the world which may suffer the most because of the obsolete features of that convention. During the time of the hon Buthelezi's administration of Home Affairs - when the beautifully dressed Minister Sisulu was the Deputy Minister - we looked into the need to promote a reform of the Geneva Convention and we teamed up with Australia to engage on the Geneva Convention and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. When the hon Buthelezi left Home Affairs, the entire process was stopped. The question is, what is it that your department is doing to promote the amendment of the Geneva Convention, without which the amendment problem will remain?
Deputy Speaker, I think I heard the hon member asking what we are doing to promote the amendment of the Geneva Convention. I am not sure whether that function lies within our jurisdiction, and it certainly does not lie within our portfolio. I often wonder what Dr Ambrosini was doing in the first administration when he was the adviser to Minister Buthelezi in this regard. But, no doubt, he is going to share that with me at a later stage. Thank you. [Applause.]
Particulars regarding promotion, transfer or demotion of SAPS members after being investigated for wrongdoing
26. Mr V B Ndlovu (IFP) asked the Minister of Police:
(1) Whether any members of the SA Police Service, SAPS, have been promoted or transferred to different positions within the SAPS after they were investigated for wrongdoing in their previous positions; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case;
(2) whether these members were penalised in any way for wrongdoing; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case;
3) whether any of these members (a) were demoted or (b) had their services terminated; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case?