Chairperson, hon Minister, in our African culture one's identity is always linked with the question of where one's umbilical cord is buried. The answer to this is: in the kraal. I think with regard to all of us, including you, Minister, our umbilical cords are buried in the kraal. It is through identification documentation that all South Africans have access to an identity. This provides citizens with a sense of dignity and access to our freely given constitutional rights. So, really, the new kraal in this sense becomes the Department of Home Affairs.
It is at Home Affairs where we begin the journey of identity. If Home Affairs grinds to a halt, so do all our identities. If our identity is stolen, we cease to be. If we are married without our knowledge, we are locked into something from which it is hard to extricate ourselves. If we are old but our identity document falsely states that we are in fact young, we lose out on pensions. If our identity document states that we are dead whereas we are alive, and, similarly, if we are males but the document states that we are females, we are truly in a difficult situation. [Applause.] Therefore, we really appeal to Home Affairs to work swiftly, systematically and honestly to address this issue, which lies at the core of all South Africans and their identity.
Mphathiswa bendiphethe neyam buqu ndizama ukutshintsha igama lam lasekhaya ndifake elasemzini. Okokoko ke ndihleli ndilinde impendulo ukusuka kumhla we-10 kuDisemba mhla ndenza isicelo soko. Namhlanje ke ngumhla we-14 kuApreli kusathiwa ndikwinqanaba lesibini kumanqanaba emine. Ndiyacela ke ngoko Mphathiswa ukuba ukhe usiphandele ukuba eli nqanaba lingunombolo ntoni-ntoni lizakuphela nini na. [Kwahlekwa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Minister, I even had my own ID to change my maiden name to my married name. I have been waiting since 10 December, the date on which I made the application. It is 14 April today and I am told that my application is at level two of the four levels. I would like you, Minister, to investigate when these levels will come to an end. [Laughter.]]
This department is not only important in supplying us with the correct identity but also in supplying other departments with the correct identification statistics in order to organise their budgets. It is true what Minister Manuel said about the country's 2011 census, namely that "Statistics South Africa would have to rely on effective data management by government departments if it was to build a credible national statistical system which would allow for evidence-based policy-making and monitoring as there is always a danger of population undercount".
Loo nto ke ithetha ukuba siliqhwabela izandla kakhulu iphulo olenzayo Mphathiswa, lokuba abantu bazifumane izazisi zabo. ICope iyalixhasa eli phulo kwaye nabo abantu basekhaya mabazilande izazisi zabo, kuba sihamba kakhulu kula duladula ukujonga okwenzekayo phaya. Uyakufika iibhokisi ngeebhokisi zezazisi zingalandwanga. Bade aba duladula banyanzeleke baphume baye ezikolweni ukuya kukhwaza. Ndicinga ukuba abantu basekhaya noko mabazame ukuzilanda izazisi zabo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[That means we highly appreciate the initiative you have taken Minister, in order for people to get their IDs. Cope supports this initiative and also urges our people to fetch their IDs because we visit that mobile office often to monitor what is happening there.
You will find IDs that have not been collected are packed in many boxes. These mobile offices end up visiting schools to read out the names. I think our people must try to collect their IDs.]
I just want to say something quickly about the new passport system. Cope is happy to learn that as a result of the new passport system the average turnaround time is between 10 and 19 days.
Siyayivuyela loo nto kwaye siyifumene into yokuba ... [We appreciate that and we have also found out that ...]
... the features include a seven-layer polycarbonate page where personal details and a photograph are laser-engraved.
Intle kakhulu loo nto leyo. Sinethemba lokuba ... [That is wonderful. We hope that ...] ... we are now in line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. On the smart card ...
... Mphathiswa, hayi, siyafuna ukuthi iintliziyo zethu zibuhlungu. Kungaqhuma kubasiwe. Ikhona into engalunganga ngale nto yesmart card. Khawusincende ke Mphathiswa ngophando olukhawulezileyo kwaye sibone kakuhle. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... Minister, we want to register our anguish. We cannot just be unhappy as a result of nothing; surely there is something going wrong. Something is wrong with the smart card. We would like an urgent investigation, Minister, in order to understand better.]
We learnt today that something will be presented to us ...
... kwaye siyiqhwabela izandla kakhulu loo nto. [... and we highly appreciate that.]
On the co-ordination of border control ...
... ixhala lethu lelokuba ingathi oku kuza kuba nguphelasonwabe emva kweNdebe yeHlabathi yeFifa. Kunga ingaqhubeka ke le nto kuba sibona umahluko omhle kakhulu, amagosa ajongeka esebenza. Amatyala orhwaphilizo ayaqwalaselwa. Ngoku ke sifuna ukuba loo nto ingabi sayeka nasemva kowama- 2010. Siyacela ke Mphathiswa usincedise ngecandelo lama-22 lamaphepha-mvume obumbacu sizokufumana iindlela zokuncedisa abantu bethu. Naleyo into sikuvile namhlanje uyithetha, siyiqhwabela izandla.
Kukho ke into ebalulekileyo kuthi malunga nabakhangela igwiba lobumbacu, osixeleleyo ukuba iza kuba njani apha kubo. Loo nto ke kunga singazi ukuba kuza kwenzeka nini oku. Kuba siyazi ukuba ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[... what concerns us the most is that this will be less significant after the Fifa World Cup. How we wish that this could continue because there is quite a lot of improvement and officers seem to be really working. Cases of fraud are being attended to. We therefore want that to continue even beyond 2010. We also appeal to you, Minister, to assist with section 22 permits issued to asylumseekers so that we could find ways of assisting our people. We heard you mentioning that earlier, and it is appreciated.
There is something important that you mentioned to us members and to asylumseekers on how this will affect them. We would like to know when this will happen. Because we know that ...]
... we want to be careful that we don't label refugees and asylum seekers as threats to our society. In this way we normalise violence, which results in furthering xenophobia.
Okokugqibela ke ndifuna ukuthetha ngokulungela owama-2010. Enkosi kakhulu kumaLungu ePalamente kunye nosihlalo abaye basinika ithuba lokuba sihambele izixeko ezizakusingatha imidlalo yeNdebe yeHlabathi. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Lastly, I want to talk about our readiness for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Let me thank the Chairperson and Members of Parliament for giving us the opportunity to visit the cities that will host the Fifa World Cup games.]
Seven parliamentary committees are overseeing the readiness of the host cities.
Into entle iyanconywa, yaye silubonile uhlobo abasebenza ngalo. Sinethemba lokuba baza kuqhubeka kanjalo. Ukongeza, uMphathiswa siyambona ezama namanyathelo okulwa urhwaphilizo. Ngamagosa ali-159 esele sivile ukuba anqunyanyisiwe. Kodwa ke, Mphathiswa, mabanganqunyaniyswa nje kuphela; mabade bahambe ngamasela, ngamatutu. Basimosha kurhulumente, kanti kufuneka kulungisiwe kurhulumente. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We need to give credit when it is due and we have seen how dedicated they are in their work. We hope that they will sustain that. To add more, we are aware of the initiatives that the Minister has come up with in fighting corruption. We have heard that 159 officers have been suspended. They must not just be suspended; action must be taken against them and they must leave because they are thieves. They are corrupting the government instead of serving the country.]
I'm very encouraged to see that the department has made progress since last year. I am also aware that many challenges still lie ahead, especially with the upcoming Fifa 2010 World Cup.
Siyabulela kwamanye amasebe esingakhe sikwazi ukuwakhankanya: iKomishoni eziMeleyo yoNyulo, iBhodi elawula imiBoniso Bhanyabhanya noPapasho kunye nemisebenzi yoshicelelo. Ezi zimbini ke ziphethwe ngamakhosikazi asebenzayo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We also thank other departments that we could not mention: the Independent Electoral Commission, the Film and Publication Board and the broadcasting authority. These two departments are headed by diligent women.]