Home Affairs’ service delivery is R2 billion in the red

13 November 2019

When a government department faces claims amounting to R2 billion due to poor service delivery, any comments about the functioning of that department will most probably be redundant.

All while the role fulfilled by that specific Department – in this case, Home Affairs – is extremely significant in protecting the identity of South African citizens, regulating the migration of people and complying with international requirements that relate to movement regulation.

This mandate of the Department is central to domestic safety as well as the protection of South African citizens who are travelling abroad.

Judging by the numerous complaints lodged by the public, applications for travel documents can in some cases take up to months to be finalised and no feedback can be obtained via the official channels on the Department's website. The FF Plus receives numerous complaints from the public, who get no response to their queries, on a weekly basis.

The Department is apparently unable to properly execute its mandate to offer accessible services, provide legal residents and citizens with documents, regulate matters relating to foreign visitors' immigration and enforce immigration legislation and deportations.

In reality, the Department is managing its duties so poorly that it is currently facing legal claims amounting to more than R2 billion due to poor service delivery.

The Department itself admitted that it is unable to enforce and police immigration legislation, with specific reference to the current unrest caused by illegal immigrants at the UN's offices in Cape Town and Pretoria.

Issued by Jaco Mulder, FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson: Home Affairs, 13 November 2019