Home Affairs Minister admits mistake and turns to COSATU for help
The Democratic Alliance is astonished at Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma's inability to see the link between the disastrous combination of uncontrolled immigrants streaming through South African borders and her department being riddled with understaffing and incompetence. Instead of addressing the real problem she turns to COSATU for solutions, whilst the solution seems to be clear to most South Africans dealing with the Department of Home Affairs on a daily basis.
During June 2009 The Democratic Alliance warned the minister that the 90-day visa waiver policy with regards to Zimbabwe is likely to cause havoc to the already mismanaged Department of Home Affairs. While the DA did not, in principle, oppose either the 90-day visa-waiver policy or the relaxation of immigration laws on those Zimbabweans already here, we have cautioned on several occasions, that with the current state of the Department of Home Affairs this could have disastrous consequences on many facets of life for South Africans as well as that of immigrants.
Now, nine months later the minister states the following on record: "the country has been facing a problem of high numbers of migrants from African countries since the dawn of democracy." On Thursday the minster stated in a workshop with COSATU, that the workshop should devise ways to regulate the movement of people over South African borders. Nine months later she is also willing to admit that many immigrants "come here for negative activities like crime".
The media states that upon a surprise visit to Rustenburg Home Affairs she found immigrants without the necessary documentation. It is mere logic that if nine months ago South Africa opened its borders to Zimbabwe in order for people to immigrate without any relevant documentation, (and taking into account the 34% vacancy rate in the Department of Home Affairs) this would be the case. Did the minister really think that all of these people will now suddenly be in possession of legal documentation, considering the state of her department?
The minster needs to deal with the staff capacity problems in her department, and officials should be properly trained and managed in order to ensure stringent border control. Some reports suggest that as few as nine immigration officials process the documents of thousands of Zimbabweans at the Beit Bridge immigration office. The minister must also take steps to root out corruption in her department and corruption charges against officials must be brought to finality as swiftly as possible. These matters however are not progressing as proposed.
A more efficient Department of Home Affairs is the clear solution for the current problems we have, to ensure that millions of South African citizens as well as those from other countries can live a life of dignity within the South African borders.
Statement issued by Juanita Terblanche, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of home affairs, March 28 2010
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