Concerning vulnerability assessments and penetration tests on the Home Affairs information technology systems conducted by the Home Affairs Internal Audit Unit, what are the (a) exact dates on which (i) internal and (ii) external assessments were conducted in the period 1 January 2021 up to the latest specified date in 2023 for which information is available and (b) full and relevant details of the outcomes?
The Vulnerability assessment and penetration tests reviews were conducted as follows at the Department of Home Affairs:
a) Exact dates
(i) Internal assessments
Internal Audit conducted internal assessment in 2021/2022 financial year and the report was issued on 23 February 2022.
(i) External assessments
Internal Audit conducted external assessment in 2020/2021 financial year and the report was issued on 07 December 2020 and also ...
Whether his department has renewed its anti-virus software licence; if not, why not; if so, what (a) total number of Home Affairs offices do not have the required anti-virus software on their computers and (b) are the further relevant details in this regard?
The Department is not able to provide details that pertains to the IT security environment and divulging IT security information in public may compromise security and increase the risk of cyber-attacks.
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(1)What are the reasons that the Immigration Affairs branch of his department continues to (a) achieve below 50% of its set targets and (b) struggle with vulnerabilities pertaining to fraud, corruption and security breaches;
(2) (a) how are the specified challenges resolved and (b) what total number of overstay notices were issued to foreign nationals who had overstayed their visa-free stay or visas since 2019?
(1)(a) It is common cause that the Department of Home Affairs is grossly under-staffed at 39% staffing. A Business Plan was sent to Treasury to this effect. Treasury provided R 260 Million to capacitate the Department. However, this took the Department to a 42% staffing level. This translates to 700 extra staff. Unfortunately, the Department had to make a choice between staffing the Civics ...
(1)Whether, with reference to the publication of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection: Towards a complete overhaul of the migration system in South Africa and his admission that his department has no idea how many undocumented immigrants are in the Republic, his department will place a freeze on all visas obtained by foreign nationals, considering that the Lubisi Report highlighted widespread fraud and corruption; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether his department will open an amnesty period that will give foreign nationals six months to regularise their stay or exit the borders of the Republic voluntarily; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
- There is no plan to place a freeze on all visas obtained by foreign nationals as this would result in denial of visas services for foreign nationals who have legitimate rights to be in the Republic. The Lubisi report findings are being acted on with necessary action on transgressions to be followed.
- There are no plans to provide amnesty to foreign nationals as there ...
What (a) is the processing backlog for each type of visa issued by Home Affairs as at 31 August 2023, (b) process is being put in place to clear the backlog and (c) time frame is in place to clear the backlog?
a) The processing backlog of Visas and Permits as at 31 August 2023 is 74 309 and 43 944 respectively.
b) The department has developed a plan to address the backlogs. The plan aims to move the older Temporary Residency Visas applications from 2022 concurrently with the current applications of 2023. This will be done by splitting the temporary residence visa team into two. ...
Whether he has found that the date of the 2024 national and provincial elections will be able to be proclaimed before the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill is signed into law and promulgated; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
The Electoral Matters Amendment Bill will be submitted to Cabinet seeking Cabinet’s approval for the Bill to be introduced into Parliament within this current financial year. The Minister, and the Department, is working tirelessly to introduce the Bill timeously into Parliament, and allow for Parliament to process the Bill accordingly.
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What are the details of the actions that were taken to address the issue of the undocumented foreign nationals near Kleinzee in the Northern Cape, who were released from prison because officials of his department did not process them in time, as it was indicated by a certain political party (details furnished) at the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs with his department on 30 March 2023?
The South African Police Services (SAPS) undertook an operation in Kleinzee on 19 to 21 September 2023. This was a provincial-led operation. To this end, the Department of Home Affairs has written to the SAPS at national level to request them to ensure proper coordination for similar operations by the NATJOINTS and Justice Crime Prevention Cluster (JCPS) inclusive of all law enforcement agencies. This ...
(1)What (a) is the status of the appointment of coastal border guards for the Border Management Authority in the 2023-24 financial year, (b) is the number of the specified guards that will be appointed in the specified period, (c) by what date will the guards be appointed, (d) what is the annual salary budget for the guards and (e) what sea vessels will the guards have access to in order to exercise their functions seaward to the outer limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone as defined in the Maritime Zones Act, Act 15 of 1994;
(2) whether the coastal border guards will patrol the seaward area to the outer limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone as defined in the Maritime Zones Act, Act 15 of 1994; if not, (a) will they be based at ports of entry and (b) what will be their functions; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1)(a) The BMA appointed 50 maritime Border Guards who started on 25 September 2023 for training and onboarding. They were onboarded in all functions related to maritime border control.
(1)(b) 50
(1)(c) They are already appointed and will be placed from 15 November 2023.
(1)(d) The salary levels are at entry level 6 – R241 000.00 per annum.
(1)(e) The BMA is currently in the ...
(1)Whether, with the reference to the judgment in the matter of Women’s Legal Centre Trust v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others handed down on 28 June 2022, wherein the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) set 24 months to enable the President, the Cabinet and Parliament to remedy defects in the registration of Muslim marriages, his department has sought a legal opinion on whether the proposed circular for the registration of Muslim marriages meets the requirements of the judgment; if not, why not; if so, why does the circular fall short;
(2) whether his department intends to approach the ConCourt to request an extension of the deadline; if not what is the position in this regard; if so, why?
1. The Department is currently in the process of developing the draft Marriage Bill, which Bill was published for public comments in July 2023, and the public participation stage closed on 31 August 2023. Following the lapse of the date for the public to submit written submissions, the Department proceeded to revise the draft Bill to incorporate the written submissions received.
In accordance with ...
(1)Regarding the process that is underway for South Africans born abroad and naturalised citizens to be able to receive Smart IDs, what (a) is the progress on the verification process of their records, (b) are the full details of the systems and administrative steps required to facilitate Smart ID applications for the citizens, (c) are the target dates by when each of the specified steps is anticipated to be completed and (d) department(s) and/or service provider(s) are responsible for each step;
(2) whether there are any steps of the process that rely on third-party departments and/or service providers to be appointed to complete the step; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full relevant details?
(1)(a) The Department is in a process of verifying all documents on the database for naturalised citizens.
(1)(b) The current Live Capture system will be used to issue Smart ID Cards for naturalised citizens.
(1)(c) The Department will announce to all naturalised citizens on the issuance of Smart ID Cards.
(1)(d) The same system that is being used in the Live Capture environments country-wide ...
