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PRESENTATION OF THE LEGACY REPORT OF THE 4 TH PARLIAMENT TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS Eddy Mathonsi, Committee Secretary 29 July 2014. The Legacy Report of the PC on Home Affairs. This Legacy Report Covers the Activities of Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs
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PRESENTATION OF THE LEGACY REPORT OF THE 4TH PARLIAMENT TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS Eddy Mathonsi, Committee Secretary 29 July 2014
The Legacy Report of the PC on Home Affairs This Legacy Report Covers the Activities of Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs from May 2009 – March 2014. The Presentation will cover the following: • Mandate of the Department of Home Affairs • Entities of the Department of Home Affairs • Functions of the Committee • Method of Work of the Committee • Key Highlights During the 4th Parliament • Oversight Visits and International Study Tour • Legislation Processed • International Agreements • Statutory Appointments • Committee’s Focus Areas During the 4th Parliament • Issues Requiring Attention in the 5th Parliament • Stakeholders
1. Mandate of the Department of Home Affairs The core mandate of the Department of Home Affairs is the efficient determination and safeguarding of the identity and status of citizens and the regulation of immigration to ensure Security, promote development and fulfil our international obligations
2. Entities of the Department 2.1. The Electoral Commission (IEC) • This is one of the Chapter 9 Institutions and its primary responsibility is to manage elections and to establish and maintain the voter’s roll. 2.2. Government Printing Works (GPW) - Its role is to provides security printing to government departments, provincial government and local authority
Cont. 2.Entities of the Department 2.3. Film and Publications Board (FPB) - It has been established by the Film and Publications Act (1996). It regulates the creation, production, possession and distribution of films, interactive computer games and publications and it is also responsible for monitoring adult premises.
3. FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE • To consider legislation referred to it • To exercise oversight over the Department of Home Affairs and its entities • To consider international Agreements referred to it • To consider the budget vote of the Department • To facilitate public participation in its processes • To facilitate appointments to statutory bodies • To consider all matters referred to it in terms of legislation, the Rules of Parliament or Resolutions of the House
4.Method of Work of the Committee • Before the scrutinizing of the Annual Reports of the Department, the Committee invited Provincial Managers to present reports of the state of their respective provinces. This method helped the Committee to understand particular challenges faced by each province • Oversight visits offices of the Department and Ports of Entry
5. Key Highlights of the Committee • Oversight visits to provinces, including Ports of Entry, Lindela Repatriation Centre and Refugees Reception Offices • The Introduction of the ID Smart Card as part of the Department of Home Affairs Modernisation Programme • The Committee amended seven legislation and a decision was made that the Refugee Reception Offices will be moved closer to the land borders • Children will be registered within 30 days after births • Allowing South Africans living abroad to vote in national elections starting from 2014 elections
6. Oversight Visits and International Study Tour 6.1. Oversight Visits to Provinces and Ports of Entry Oversight Visits Pre -2010 FIFA World Cup The Committee participated in a joint oversight visits with other Parliamentary Committees to check the readiness of the host cities for 2010 FIFA World Cup In addition, the following Provinces were visited by the Committee: • Free State • Gauteng • Limpopo • Mpumalanga • North West • Kwazulu – Natal • Eastern Cape
Cont.6. Oversight Visits and International Study Tour 6.2. Oversight Visits to Entities • The Film and Publications Board Head Office in Johannesburg • The Electoral Commission (IEC) Head Office in Pretoria • There is an outstanding oversight visit to Government Printing Works in Pretoria
Cont.6. Oversight Visits and International Study Tour 6.3. International Study Tour Only one international study tour was undertaken to Russia in 2012 during the 4th Parliament
7. Legislation Processed • The South African Citizenship Amendment Bill[B17 – 2010] • The Bill finalised in 2010 • The Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill [B18 - 2010] • The Bill was finalised in 2010 • The Local Government: Municipal Electoral Amendment Bill [B27- 2010] • The Bill was finalised in 2010 • The Refugees Amendment Bill [B30 – 2010] • The Bill was finalised in 2011 • The Immigration Amendment Bill [B32 – 2010] • The Bill was finalised in 2011 • The Electoral Amendment Bill [PMB2 – 2013] • The Bill was finalised in 2013 • The Electoral Amendment Bill [B22 – 2013] • The Bill was finalised in 2013
8. International Agreements • Agreement Between the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho on the Facilitation of cross-border movement of citizens of the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho - The agreement was not approved by the Committee
9. Statutory Appointments • Appointment of a Commissioner in May 2011 before the Local Government Elections • Appointment of Commissioners by an Adhoc Committee in 2012 Commissioners are appointed for a period of seven years
10.Committee’s Focus Areas During the 4th Parliament • Modernisation Programme of the Department of Home Affairs • The Committee interrogated the importance of finalising the ICT integration • The Committee was not able to visit Government Printing Works (GPW) to see the new passport and ID Smart Card printing machine • Duplicate cases • This is problem for citizens. The Department of Home Affairs has published names of people who had duplicate cases to avail them to the Department for this to be resolved. Few people came forward. • Duplicate cases are instances where one person has two ID numbers or where two persons share an ID number • The on-going modernisation of the ID application process and ID Smart Card was noted by the Committee as a means of such issues. • Late Registration of Births The Department introduced an amendments to the Births and Death Registration Act to ensure that births are registered within 30 days after delivery.
11. Issues Requiring Attention in the 5th Parliament • Closure of the Refugee Reception Offices and moving them closer to the land borders • Modernisation Programme and roll out of the Live Capture for the ID Smart Cards and passports in all offices • Filing of priority and vacant funded posts • Obstacles encountered with the Department of Public Works(DPW) in acquiring new offices by the Department of Home Affairs and Government Printing Works • Duplicate cases of Identity Documents • Finalisation of the Regulations related to the Immigration and Refugees Amendment Bills • Phasing out of Late Registration of Births • The Committee to learn more on issues of regional integration as it relates to immigration on the African continent and on fast facilitation of recruitment of scarce skills from other parts of the world • Better monitoring and management of migrants within the country • The development of Migration Policy by the Department of Home Affairs • On the Study Tour to Russia, the Russian Federation is interested in forging cooperation with South Africa in the area of higher education. The focus area could be in the area of Information Technology and IT security and establishing exchange programmes
12. Stakeholders • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) • Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) • People Against Suffering Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (Passop) • Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CorMSA) • Forum of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA) • University of Cape Town Law Clinic • African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) • Lawyers for Human Rights • Edward Nathan Sonnerbergs • Deloitte and Touche’ • PriceWateHouseCoopers(PWC) • Centre for Development and Enterprise • AfriForum • Citizenship Rights Africa Initiative (CRAI) • Commission for Gender Equality (CGE)