South African Department of Home Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Department of Home Affairs is a department
of the South African government
.
of 5,719.6 million rand
, and had 9,375 employees.
In another case, The Sowetan reports that as South African citizen has unsuccessfully tried to attain an identity document for four years
.
. Allegations include the sale of fake passports.
A report by the country's Public Service Commission found that the Department of Home Affairs accounted for 22 of the 260 financial misconduct cases for national departments in 2008/9.
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the South African government
Government of South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a nearly unique system that combines aspects of parliamentary and presidential systems. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa...
.
Duties
The department is responsible for:- Maintenance of the National Population Register (the civil registryCivil registryCivil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database is called civil register or registry, or population registry. The primary purpose of civil registration is to create legal documents that are used to...
), including the recordingVital recordVital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships....
of births, marriages/civil partnerships and deaths. - Issuing identity documents and passportsSouth African passportA South African passport is a travel document issued to citizens of South Africa for the purpose of international travel. It allows the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements, and facilitates the process of securing assistance from South African consular...
. - Issuing visaVisa (document)A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
s for visitors to South Africa (although visa applications pass through embassies or consulates which are part of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation). - Managing immigrationImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to South Africa and naturalizationNaturalizationNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
of permanent immigrants. - Handling refugeeRefugeeA refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and asylum seekers in South Africa. - Controlling ports of entryPort of entryIn general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
at land borders, seaports and airports.
Budget
In the 2010 national budget, the department received an appropriationAppropriation (law)
In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
of 5,719.6 million rand
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
, and had 9,375 employees.
Poor Service
The department has been criticized for its inefficiency, particularly in regard to processing documents. Eye Witness News reported that it will take two years to process visa requests from Zimbabwe citizens applying for work and study permits.In another case, The Sowetan reports that as South African citizen has unsuccessfully tried to attain an identity document for four years
.
Corruption
There have been numerous reports of corruption within Home Affairs. In February 2010 the department closed one of its Johannesburg offices due to corruption. A number of officials and staff members have appeared in court for alleged corruption and bribery. Allegations include the sale of fake passports.
Mismanagement
In May 2010 it was reported that the Department of Home Affairs had not paid its bill to the Government Printing Works, leading to a delay in the issuance of new passports . Home Affairs is facing lawsuits of R 5 billion for various breaches of terms and contracts. . The same article reports that the department also faces lawsuits from "people erroneously declared dead, people whom they failed to issue with identity documents and others arrested after their IDs were used in a fraudulent manner."A report by the country's Public Service Commission found that the Department of Home Affairs accounted for 22 of the 260 financial misconduct cases for national departments in 2008/9.