Home Affairs ‘needs R1bn’ to do its job

Source: The Citizen, 30/01/2017

‘When you have R10 million to digitise documents, you really don’t
have money.’
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba yesterday openly acknowledged that
his department needs resources and much more money to be able to
function efficiently and to serve South African and foreign nationals.
Gigaba said the resourcing of the department has a severe impact on
the economy, security and service delivery and on the “happiness of
our clients we are servicing” and said they would need at least R1
billion just for digitisation, excluding the funds to fill positions.
“Unfortunately, this is one department which serves every single South
African more than once in their lifetime, as well as foreign nationals.
“So if you apply for permanent residence, the fact that there is a
delay in the return of your permanent residence permit, is not because
our officers are just loitering doing nothing, sipping coffee and are
on Twitter and Facebook.
It is because we are understaffed,” Gigaba defended his department.
“If you go to our front offices, go to the counters that are lying
idle and there is nobody because we have no people to occupy these
counters.”
Gigaba explained that smart card ID officers, who by regulation are
supposed to be at least five on duty at any given time, are now only
about three or two on duty and that frustrates clients, because they
do not understand the pressures and difficulties Gigaba’s team are under.
He said they need least R100 million or R1 billion just to help with
the digitisation of 5.5 million documents that are currently in
various of their buildings dating back to the 1800s. “We started a
digitisation process for only 5.5 million of those and said we would
prioritise the digitisation of records that are required for
unabridged birth certificates so that in the near future we are able
to do away with that difficulty.
“But the documents that are most in demand are unabridged birth
certificates, unabridged marriage certificates and unabridged death
certificates �" and we need to digitise them.
“But when you have R10 million to do that you really don’t have money.
What we need is at least R100 million or R1 billion,” Gigaba said.