A delegation of the Portfolio Committees on Home Affairs, under the leadership of Mr Patrick Chauke (ANC), visited KwaZulu-Natal from 21 – 25 July 2003, and included Mr M U Kalako (ANC), Mr K W Morwamoche (ANC), Mr S R Pillay (NNP), Ms M M Maunye and Mr J F Vermeulen (Committee Secretary).

Mr W Delport, Regional Director of the Department in KwaZulu-Natal, Mr J R Chavalala, Chief Director of Civic Services, Home Affairs Head Office and Mr G Reyneke, Director of Identification, Home Affairs Head Office, accompanied the delegation.

The delegation visited KwaZulu Natal to exercise oversight over the quality and accessibility of rendering civic services to people in especially rural and disadvantaged areas, as Identity Documents (Ids) and birth certificates are the key to access social security grants. The purpose of the tour was further to directly exercise oversight over the ID campaign that was launched by the Department of Home Affairs in every province. The aim of the ID campaign is to provide all South African citisens with a green bar coded ID documents in preparation for the next general elections. The delegation thus monitored the process of ID applications and issuing thereof and the registration of childbirths.

This was done in all 5 sub-regions of the province as follows:

Durban: Monday 21 July 2003, Empangeni: Tuesday 22 July 2003, Newcastle: Wednesday 23 July 2003, Pietermaritzburg: Thursday 24 July 2003, Port Shepstone: Friday 25 July 2003.

In each sub-region the delegation held meetings with the department, traditional leaders, political parties, the IEC, ward councilors, members of SAPS and other stakeholders. Regional offices, district offices, service points and mobile units were visited to give the delegation an insight into the quality and accessibility of the rendering of civic services in the entire KwaZulu Natal.

Treasury has set aside R15 million for the ID campaign nationally, of which R2.5 million was given to KwaZulu Natal in aid of the campaign. Especially in the rural areas many people do not have ID’s.

The findings of the delegation are as follows:

The delegation had its first meeting for the day at the Durban Regional office. District representatives, some political parties, councilors and organized labor were present. The next meeting took place at the District office in Commercial Road and the last meeting of the day at the Tongaat District office.

1. The Durban Regional office is very big and not well structured for the work of the Department.

2. Office security is a concern as offices are left unattended on a regular basis while the influx of people to the office is very high and the offices are very busy.
3. The influx of people to the office is very high, as proper services are not provided in surrounding areas.
4. There are about 8000 unclaimed IDs in cabinets and the security of these documents is also very loose. Cabinets are unlocked during the day in the presence of volunteers in the busy office and IDs can be easily stolen.
5. Where people queue for services the delegation was shocked to see an entrepreneur advertising that chairs could be rented at R5.00 a piece. The office management said that they were not aware of this arrangement but the delegation finds this hard to believe.
6. Although the office was extremely busy there was no information desk or floorwalker to assist people.
7. The refugee reception office was also extremely busy and because of the unpractical layout of the Regional Office this caused many more people to hang around in the passages of the building.

1. Durban district office

1. The district office in Commercial Road is cleaner, neater and more organized than the Regional office.
2. Stationary problems existed and BI9 forms were said to be lacking.

4. General observations for the Durban sub-region are as follows:

1. The implementation of the policy on free photos was not uniformly implemented in the Durban region. The Minister announced free photos on 12 June but this was only implemented by the various districts from 8, 9 & 10 July. This constitutes a serious communication breakdown.
2. The provision of civic services is unequally provided in the Durban region. The criteria for the distribution of resources do not make sense. For example areas like Chatsworth, Phoenix, Kwa Mashu and Umlazi are very large but are only visited by mobile units once or twice a week. Chatsworth has a population of in excess of +/- 500 000 people but is visited by a mobile unit once a week.
3. Forms that were not available are the BI9, 17, 39 and 40 forms. It is hard to understand why they were not available, as they only needed to be ordered from Head Office.
4. The pilot project to involve traditional authorities in civic service applications is very controversial as lines of accountability are not always clear.

The sub-region has 1 regional office in Empangeni, 4 district offices that are located in Ulundi, Mtubatuba, Richards Bay, and Eshowe. There are 15 service points at Enseleni, Ezikhaweni, Babanango, Mahlabatini, Nkandla, Nongoma, Melmoth, Hlabisa, Ingwavuma, Ubombo, Hluhluwe, KaNgwanase, Mbazwana, Kwamsane and Sundumbili. Only the Nongoma, Melmoth, Hlabisa, Ingwavuma and Hluhluwe service points are computerised. The 4 ports of entry are at Richards Bay Harbour, Golela (Swaziland), Onverwacht (Swaziland) and Kosi Bay (Mozambique).

The delegation had its first meeting for the day at the Empangeni Regional Office. District representatives, traditional leaders, some political parties and councilors were present.

The next meeting took place at Nkandla Service Point and the last meeting of the day took place at the Vryheid district office.

1. Empangeni Regional Offfice

3. General observations for the sub-region are as follows:

1. Civic Services are lacking at KaNgwanase. The area has a population in excess of 123 000 people and there is no service point.
2. Ezigolweni also has only 1 uncomputerised service point. Written applications are processed at Richards Bay.
3. The Nkandla service point is also uncomputerised even though 19 villages come here for civic services.
4. Services are also needed at Ubombo, Mbazwana and Jozina. The areas are vast and people have to travel too far to access services.
5. The sub-region has no clear strategy of how to distribute ID’s that are lying at offices.
6. In Pongola and Nkandla people who apply for late registration of birth struggle, as the community does not always properly understand the criteria for such applications. The reason being that there is no sufficient communication from the Department to communities in this regard.

D. Newcastle sub-region: 23 July 2003

The sub-region has 1 regional office in Newcastle, 2 district offices in Ladysmith and in Vryheid and 12 service points in Madaleni, Utrecht, Dundee, Ekuvukeni, Weenen, Ozisweni, Estcourt, Bergville, Duduza, Ngutu, Ngotshane and Louwsburg. Only the Dundee, Estcourt and Ngutu service points are computerised.

The delegation visited the Newcastle regional office, the Ladysmith district office and the Ekuvukeni mobile unit.

General observations for the sub-region are as follows:

1. The sub-region opened 6 service points at traditional affairs offices as follows: Madedeni, Nqutu, Pongola, Estcourt, Wasbank and Bergville. The department is investigating the possibility of opening another 6 service points at traditional authority offices.
2. Since the commencement of the ID campaign the municipalities in the sub-region have also provided volunteers and transport in aid of the ID campaign.
3. All offices in the sub-region have been providing free photos since the start of the ID campaign. The R12.00 application fee for the re-issue of ID’s has also been waived since June. All ID’s are thus issued free of charge.
4. The sub-region has appointed a total number of 33 volunteers who receive the daily subsistence and travel allowance of R40.00 per day.
5. Office hours have been extended and all offices are open from 08:00 – 17:00 on weekdays and from 08:00 – 12:00 on Saturdays, in aid of the ID campaign.
6. The Vryheid and Newcastle offices have a two-month backlog. This situation is very undesirable, as people who applied for services have to wait so much longer to receive their certificate or ID.
7. Home Affairs is not driving the ID campaign in the area. The monetary support and the provision of volunteers by municipalities are commendable but then they should not dictate to Home Affairs. Home Affairs does not seem to be fully in charge of all the mobile teams that go out to communities in the sub region.
8. The delegation was disturbed to learn that a Mr. Shandou allegedly took files from the Home Affairs office relating to traditional marriage officers. The policy regarding the appointment of traditional marriage officers is not well understood by Home affairs staff in this sub-region. Evidence for this is the complaint that was received by the delegation that customary marriages were not accepted at the Pongola Home Affairs office. The need to clarify the policy to officials and to provide training exists.
9. ID’s that are received from head office are given to councillors to distribute to people. This situation is not correct and the Committee does not agree with it.
10. The department in the sub-region co-operates well with municipalities who support the ID campaign with volunteers and vehicles, but it is clear that the department is not driving the campaign. It is the responsibility of the department to get all stakeholders on board in a bid to ensure that there are no political tensions between political parties. The delegation witnessed some political tensions and accusations at the meeting in Newcastle. When the department takes the lead to get all stakeholders on board to ensure that itineraries for mobile units are the result of a collective agreement, some of these accusations and tensions will disappear.

The sub-region has 1 regional office in Pietermaritzburg, 1 district office in Ixopo and 7 service points at Greytown, Richmond, Mooirivier/Howick/Hanganani, Mpumalanga, Msinga, Phungashe and Himeville. The two ports of entry to Lesotho are at Sani Pass and Boesmansnek.

The delegation held meetings at Pietermaritzburg regional office, Ixopo and Nokweja mobile unit.

The sub-region has 1 regional office in Port Shepstone, 2 district offices that are located in Scottburgh and Kokstad and 5 service points in Ezingolweni, Harding, Emzumbe, Vulamehla and Matatiele.

The delegation visited Port Shepstone Regional office, Scottsburgh District office and a final wrap up meeting was held with all stakeholders in the Durban Council Chambers.

General observations for the sub-region are as follows:

1. The Port Shepstone Regional office is inaccessible for disabled people. This matter needs urgent attention, as there are at least 50 steps that lead up to the office.

1. Kangwanase needs a computerised service point as it has a population of more than 123 000 people.
2. A clear holistic strategy of ID distribution in the province is needed.
3. The criteria for the late registration of births should clearly be communicated.
4. All stakeholders should refrain from politicising the distribution of IDs. We need to provide services to our people without trying to score political points. ID’s should not be given to councillors to distribute. Councillors should rather be given lists to distribute of ID’s that are ready for collection and also schedules of when mobiles ill be where to distribute those ID’s.