DIRCO ICT changeover causes Visa backlog in Berlin
7 July 2023
ICT challenges at the Berlin Embassy have been laid bare by an oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee of International Relations and Cooperation.
These challenges have resulted in service officials having to manually issue visas.
The DA demands a full explanation from Minister Pandor on the reasons for the ICT challenges that are contributing to the incompetence at the Berlin Embassy, as well as confirmation if these are replicated at other missions.
During its oversight visit to the Berlin Embassy, the Portfolio Committee of International Relations and Cooperation was astonished to discover that the Consular services officials stationed at the embassy were issuing visas manually instead of using computer-generated methods.
Given the rising risks of fraud and illegal immigration, this poses a significant threat to our harmonious relationship with Germany. While such practices may be tolerated within South Africa's less-controlled borders, it is imperative that we take this matter more seriously on an international level.
The Committee was further frustrated as we were misled by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) officials at a recent PC meeting, when questioned about the continuous ongoing irregular extension of the previous service provider. The committee was told that with the recent crossover from the previous Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) service provider to the newly appointed one, that everything was running smoothly at the missions abroad. Our officials in Berlin however confirmed the contrary.
This ICT tender has been controversial as the initial service provider, BT Communications, has held DIRCO to ransom to continue to extend their contract for 12 months for the handover, and has now had an extension of another 18 months of irregular and fruitless expenditure that will be raised by the Auditor General.
It is evident that the department has not learnt its lesson from the outcome of the Supreme Court of Appeals regarding the irregular expenditure of the R118 million New York Pilot Project fiasco.
Germany is one of the biggest economic hubs in Europe, and this is the incompetence of how we expose South Africa on the international scene. With the current drop in tourist figures to our shores, South Africa can ill afford these backlogs restricting potential visitors.
We will be demanding a full explanation from Minister Pandor on the reasons for the ICT challenges that are contributing to the incompetence at the Berlin Embassy, as well as confirmation if these are replicated at other missions. We will also expect an answer as to why the department had misled the committee, regarding the transition and the justification for the irregular extension.
Those responsible for placing South Africa in this disconcerting position on the international stage must be held accountable.
Issued by Mergan Chetty, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, 7 July 2023
