Chairperson, in this centenary year of the ANC, it is heart- warming to be able to say that this department, once representing segregation and disdain for the majority of our people, has now become a door to opportunity, a protector of human dignity, equality and freedom for all.
The mission of the Department of Home Affairs is the efficient determination and safeguarding of the identity and status of citizens and the regulation of migration to ensure security, promote development and fulfil our international obligations. The department has three budget programmes through which this mandate is exercised, namely administration, citizen affairs and immigration affairs.
I think there is a national consensus - and that the opposition will agree - that the Minister and her department have made important strides towards achieving this mission. One does get the impression that the Minister has identified the problems that have crippled the department for so long and that she is addressing these problems one by one. No wonder that the DA was calling recently that she should stay in her position rather than move to that of Chairperson of the African Union.
Outcome 12 of the government's Programme of Action calls for an efficient, effective and development-orientated public service. The effectiveness of the department in delivering services can easily be assessed, in line with national priorities, in that the Minister has implemented far more specific measureable outcomes for all three of its budget programmes since last year.
Progress that has been noted in its services from 2010 to 2011 include, firstly, an 18% expansion of presence in health institutions for online birth registration, totalling 235 maternity facilities in 2011 and plans for a further 80 in 2012.
Secondly, an increase to 40 offices with live online passport capture and plans for a further 120 offices with both passports and identity documents, IDs, captured electronically by the end of 2012-13.
Lastly, an increase to 100% of all matric learners being issued with IDs, from 88% in 2010 and plans to maintain this in the coming years. The best evidence, however, of whether there is progress in service delivery comes not from annual performance reports, but from the testimony of members of the public who are at the receiving end, at the coalface of Home Affairs services. My own experience in this regard is that the department's figures on significant improvement in the processing of IDs and passports and in the registration of births is that these figures tell no lies, but are substantiated by the experiences of South African citizens.
People I come across from all walks of life have witnessed these improvements in their dealings with Home Affairs offices and are impressed with the provision of new offices in areas that were not serviced before, the refurbishment of many of the department's offices and the improvement in the flow of customers as a result of the introduction of electronic queue management in larger offices. People's Home Affairs experiences have become far more pleasant ones.
On the other hand, there are still a number of weaker service delivery areas where, according to the department's own admission, it is still well off target or where targets have not been achieved. The processing of temporary and permanent residence permits, for example, still takes way too long. The average in 2010 was 16 weeks and in 2011 only 70% of permits were issued within eight weeks. Permanent residence applications averaged only 70% finalised in eight months as oppose to six months formerly. Much of these delays result from the centralisation of finalising these applications at head office to improve security and prevent fraud. The director-general, in answering questions in this regard recently, indicated that he now gets regular reports on which applications are received and which permits are issued per day, and that backlogs will be cleared by the end of this month, April.
This is good news and our committee will continue to monitor the expansion of capacity and improvement of service delivery in all areas to ensure that high standards are achieved and significant progress is made to address such weak links. The public deserves no less. [Applause.]
Outcome 5 calls for a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path. We want to strongly support the establishment and accreditation of the department's own learning academy, where officials are trained and skilled, to make sure that they have the ability to meet the demands of the department. This has, no doubt, been a step in the right direction and we would like to congratulate the Minister for taking this initiative.
One can only have a skilled and capable workforce if funded vacancies are filled. It is a concern that too many funded vacancies in the department and the entities it is responsible for have not been filled. The portfolio committee has engaged with the leadership of the department, the Film and Publication Board, the Government Printing Works and the Electoral Commission, and has received reports in this regard. The committee has indicated to the department as well as the entities that we expect an improvement in the current financial year.
A capable workforce is not only an able workforce, but also a willing workforce. For too long mediocrity has been the attitude of too many, particularly in the public service. We need to say loud and clear that we expect our workforce to be motivated, to be enthusiastic, to be friendly towards the public, to be hardworking, to be proud of their work and to have an attitude of selfless service to the people. We are not preaching to the converted and we have seen positive signs of change as well, but to those who remain negative in their approach, we need to say: This is the time to shape up or ship out.
Outcome 3 calls for a South Africa where all people are and feel safe. The primary consideration for the department in this regard is ensuring that we have secure and internationally accepted quality identification documents and that migration in and out of the country is regulated to the best possible standard.
We do indeed welcome the announcement of the ID smart card that the Minister has made in this regard today. There have been quite a number of technical difficulties over the past few years and we are really grateful that the process is on course now, as has been demonstrated to us earlier as well.
In the 2012 state of the nation address the President stressed the importance of improved border crossings, port capacity and information communications technology, ICT, as part of improving regional trade. So, whilst the department moves towards increased risk prevention and security, it should not forget - and we are sure it wouldn't - the importance of facilitating the ease of movement of legal travellers for the sake of the country's and the region's development.
It is important for the sovereignty and integrity of every country to have proper control over foreigners that are allowed to enter its borders. We have vast and stretched out borders, including a long coastline. This presents huge challenges. On our oversight visits, the portfolio committee has come across concerning factors that do need much more reflection and considered action. Many illegal border crossings in the north take place relatively close to formal border posts and it seems that we will have to concentrate on the policing of areas in the vicinity of these border posts where there is road access.
Our coastline, in effect, is virtually unmonitored and unprotected. We simply need some kind of coastguard or further intragovernmental co- operation to alleviate this problem, and we should look into innovative solutions that had success elsewhere, such as informants along the coast.
We also need to improve our management of the status determination of refugees and asylum seekers. We need a dispensation where reception centres are close to the borders as soon as possible, as envisaged by the Minister, so that these vulnerable persons are provided for as they arrive, and so that this dispensation does not continue to be abused as a loophole in our law for anybody to enter the country. If we have to pass legislation in this regard, we will have to do so.
These centres should be well-equipped with full staff complements and professionally managed. Status determination should take place swiftly, and we will have to work much more co-operatively with our Southern African Development Community, SADC, neighbours in managing the increasing burden of displaced persons in the region.
At the same time, we need to send a strong message and increase public awareness that xenophobia is counterproductive for our development as a country and a continent and simply has to be overcome. We consider it a despicable crime and will treat it as such.
When visiting Russia recently, the portfolio committee discovered that the federal immigration board has the remarkable ability to indicate on an electronic map the exact status and location of foreigners within the Russian borders. Such a system for South Africa may be future music, but it is a class act to follow. It will help us, without limiting people's freedom of movement, to plan much better.
In our discussion with our Russian counterparts the idea was mooted to lift visa requirements between our countries, particularly in view of our joint membership of Brics. The Russians seemed remarkably open to this idea, and we want to request the Minister to explore this idea and to look into the possibility.
These days it has become quite a hassle for South Africans to travel due to stringent visa requirements from countries such as Britain, the USA, European countries and other countries. To apply for a British visa, for example, Minister, now cost more than R1 000. One has to go for an interview and you have to take along all your personal information, including bank statements for the past six months. They ask one during that interview whether you know anyone in Britain, and if you dare answer in the affirmative, you have to provide the British with all sorts of private information of the people you know as well.
Whilst the Americans at least issue one with a 10-year visa, the British only provide a visa for a six-month period of stay in Britain. Just imagine if all the money South Africans spend on visas could have been spent in the South African economy. These are matters we really need to look into, Minister, and see how we can assist our citizens. At the very least we can attempt to convince our foreign friend to relieve some of these requirements. If they feel they have to retain the requirement of a visa, it would, for example, help if they could reduce the costs or issue a visa for a longer period of time. If the Americans can issue a visa for 10 years, why can't Britain and the Schengen countries do the same?
Speaking of hassles, it has come to my attention that our marriage officers have to queue every month at Department of Home Affairs offices to register marriages. This, apparently, takes up a lot of their time. It will be of great assistance to them if we could make provision for online registration of marriages as part of our information communications technology, ICT, innovation process.
In conclusion, we want to congratulate the Minister and the department and the Deputy Minister for turning the tide towards an unqualified audit opinion. We trust that this trend will continue and that the new aim will become, in good time, the achievement of a clean audit.
A lot has been achieved. The ANC and the people of South Africa recognise that. May you and your department continue to achieve even more during this financial year. In her absence, we would also like to thank our chairperson, hon Maggie Maunye, for her dedication and hard work and wish her a speedy recovery from a recent eye operation.
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]