The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs is concerned by the lack of tangible progress in clearing the backlog within the Department of Home Affairs’ Permitting Unit. The committee in March this year visited the unit to assess strategies in place to adjudicate and clear a backlog of various visas that arose because of Covid-19 restrictions and received a progress report today.

The committee’s concerns are in the context that the speedy adjudication of visas has been identified as central in the drive to attract foreign direct investment, which is a precursor to growing the economy and creating much-needed job opportunities. “While we note the progress by the department in adopting some of the recommendations made by the committee including the need to decentralise adjudication, as well as hiring new, legally trained adjudicators, the committee is concerned that there remains a general disquiet by applicants that their applications are not processed. The department must move urgently to resolve this matter,” said Mr Mosa Chabane, the Chairperson of the committee.

Despite this concern, the committee has commended progress by the Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT) in the implementation of the recommendations made by the Lubisi Report. The Lubisi Report emanated from a Ministerial Committee established by the Minister of Home Affairs to review all permits and visas issued since 2004.

The committee welcomes the sound working relationship that has been fostered between the MDTT, the departmental Counter Corruption Unit, Labour Relations Unit, and ICT in progressing the investigations. Also, the committee welcomed that the MDTT is working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure the prosecution of officials that have been identified to have wrongfully granted various visas. The committee further welcomes that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has set up a special task team to deal with referrals by the MDTT. In line with this, the committee acknowledged the 11 matters that were finalised on 23 August 2023 for consideration and transmission to the DPCI for criminal investigation.

“We are convinced that a working relationship grounded on the need to root out corruption is critical to resolving challenges identified by the Lubisi report. This collaboration will ensure that cases that are taken to court are watertight and officials in the wrong face the full might of the law. Corrupt elements that expose our country to all sorts of risks should be taken to jail,” Mr Chabane emphasised.

While the committee understands that internal disciplinary mechanisms are guided by internal policies and procedures, the committee has urged for the urgent conclusion of internal disciplinary matters to ensure consequence management. Also, the committee emphasised a parallel process of internal disciplinary processes coupled with criminal processes to ensure that the matters are dealt with adequately.

In the Bushiri matter, the committee welcome the support which is currently being rendered by the MDTT to the DPCI with respect to an ongoing criminal investigation as well as by the MDTT to the DHA with respect to four disciplinary matters currently ongoing. Furthermore, the committee welcomes that the blockages that led to the two-year delay in instituting disciplinary action has now been cleared.

Meanwhile, the committee also received an update from the Government Printing Works (GPW) on progress in implementing recommendations made by the Ministerial Review Panel. The committee has welcomed the establishment of work streams that are drivers of the implementation and monitoring of recommendations. The committee has emphasised the need to urgently implement all the recommendations especially as they relate to ICT. The committee also welcomes the assurance that the GPW is working with the Officer of the Auditor-General regarding audit findings and recovery of financial data. The committee will continue to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of both reports.

Source: Parliament of South Africa