Home Affairs portfolio committee must deliberate GijimaAst contract debacle

The unilateral attempts by the Department of Home Affairs to cancel the R2,5bn "Who am I Online" project four years after tenders were called for and two years after a contract had been entered into with the successful tenderer, GijimaAst, can only be regarded as an indication that the attempts to turn the Department around are under serious stress. I will ask the Chairperson of the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee to convene a meeting where this issue can be discussed with the Department to ascertain what possible effect the dispute will have on service delivery.

The Department should take care that the problems with the "Who am I Online" contract and its implementation, originally marketed by the Department to have been crucial in the processing of the hundreds of thousands of World Cup 2010 visitors, should not have an effect on service delivery during or after 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The Sunday Independent reported that the Department of Home Affairs sent a letter to GijimaAst on 13 April 2010 contending that the "Who am I Online" project contract is invalid and that GijimaAst is considering legal action.

The project is supposed to provide information to immigration officials, SA Police Service, National Health and Emergency Services and Revenue Services with information for every person that enters and leaves the country. It was said to play a very important role in the Fifa World Cup.

The Democratic Alliance hopes that whilst the Department of Home Affairs and GijimaAst sort out their differences in what is in essence an internal as well as a management matter that service delivery to citizens as well as to visitors to the World Cup will not in any way be affected.

Statement issued by Juanita Terblanche, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of home affairs, April 19 2010

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