Officials appear to be uncharged for corruption

24 August 2012
Release: immediate

In this week’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs meeting, the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) presented its report on an investigation into tender corruption conducted by the Auditor-General (AG). This report showed that there was corruption involved in the Smart Card tender process.

In May 2008 the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) instructed SITA to prepare a tender. The tender was for the supply, installation and maintenance of Smart Cards as well as a card production facility.  However, in September of that year an anonymous letter was received alleging improprieties relating to the evaluation of the tender.

The report revealed that tender procedures and regulations were not complied with. These include, amongst others, the failure by SITA to open the bids publically as required by regulation, irregular appointments of Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) members and discrepancies in the finalisation and consolidation of and individual scoring by BEC members. The investigation further revealed that a SITA employee failed to disclose vested interests and did not excuse himself from meetings.

The Auditor General uncovered this and initially investigated the matter in 2009 after which an external independent audit was undertaken. A presentation was made in 2010 to the Committee “in committee” and behind closed doors - documents tabled on that day had to be handed in. They claimed that this is a high level investigation and that there are security issues. To date there are 2 officials that are undergoing a disciplinary process but will apparently not be charged as “no money was spent”.

The recommendations by SITA include the need to improve procurement process. However, the recommendations do not include the charging of individuals concerned. Individuals involved should be charged and the full process of the law should be followed.

I will today be writing to the Minister of Home Affairs to ask what the status of the disciplinary hearing is and whether these individuals will be relieved of their duties. All forms of corruption need to be stamped out of Home Affairs.

Home Affairs provides efficient service only if forced to do so

21 August 2012

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Home Affairs provides efficient service only if forced to do so

Daily I receive queries from desperate people who have in general, had little assistance from the Department of Home Affairs.  Usually, these victims experience much emotional and psychological trauma because of this government department often referred to as the Department of “Horror Affairs”.

In the vast majority of matters that cross my desk, applicants have been kept waiting for unreasonably long periods of time.  I am fighting on behalf of people who have been waiting for resolution to their matter sometimes as long as 2 years or more.

I was rather pleasantly surprised to learn that the Home Affairs Department recently resolved a matter within only 8 minutes.  A family, originally from Taiwan, took the department to court after it failed for four years to respond to the Chang family’s application.

Unsurprisingly, this super-efficient service only took place after the court ruled that the Minister and relevant officials were to each pay a R100 000 fine.  The matter was resolved 8 minutes after the court ruling was issued.

No one reasonably expects to enjoy such super-efficient service in every case.  This case however demonstrates that it is possible for this department to act efficiently.  Why do the Minister and her officials have to be personally threatened before they do the job they were supposed to do in the first place?

Yours Sincerely,

Manny de Freitas MP

Shadow Home Affairs Minister

Member of Parliament for Johannesburg South

Democratic Alliance

(Unsigned as transmitted electronically)

ANC confirms that Xala is wrong

8 August 2012

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

ANC confirms that Xala is wrong

I have purposefully waited patiently for the reaction by the ANC’s Xolani Xala to the article in which I was quoted.  In mid-July The South African reported my criticism of Xala’s proposal.  Xala proposed that the government prohibit voting rights for South Africans living abroad who do not declare their income to the South African Revenue Services.

Xala chose to react in the social media.  When asked to provide the details of the proposal, Mr Xala responded with insults.  Throughout the long conversation on this matter Mr Xala resorted to being personal and disrespectful to everyone who participated in this conversation.

I await the details from Xala with interest.  However, I suspect that the wait for this information may well be forever.  I say this because at the end of July Mr Xala was reprimanded within the ANC structures by representatives that sit on the IEC’s multi-party National Party Liaison Committee.

In a letter from Luthuli House, Mr Xala was advised that this proposal was not accepted at the ANC Policy Conference.  The authors of the letter correctly advised Mr Xolani Xala that “the Constitution guarantees every SA citizen the right to vote” and that “it is not the ANC’s intention to disenfranchise any South African”.

The ANC confirmed in their letter that thanks to Mr Xala, confusion had been created among overseas voters and that “it would be unconstitutional to link tax and votes”.

I now respectfully and eagerly look forward to Mr Xala clarification on the ANC’s position among overseas voters as requested to by Luthuli House.

Yours Sincerely,

Manny de Freitas MP

Shadow Home Affairs Minister

Member of Parliament for Johannesburg South

Democratic Alliance

(Unsigned as transmitted electronically)

DAWN Joburg South Women’s Conference a great success

9 August 2012

MEDIA RELEASE

DAWN Joburg South Women’s Conference a great success

This year National Women’s Day celebrations in Johannesburg South took the form of a Conference hosted by DAWN (Democratic Alliance Women’s Network) of Joburg South. Over 150 mostly women gathered at the Marist Brothers Marion College in Linmeyer in a celebratory mood. A number of issued that confront South African women today was discussed.

Manny de Freitas, Member of Parliament for Johannesburg South, welcomed* everyone and declared the Conference open. Speakers included a young woman who is also a DA Youth leader, Nazley Khan Sharif who spoke from her perspective as a young woman. She expressed enthusiasm over the fact that the Democratic Alliance is the fastest growing unifying force that is uniting all South Africans from all communities.

Local DAWN Leader and Committee member, Nomsa Guennoun expressed her pride at being a woman and how it is women that have made positive changes and contributions in the past. In the DA women will contribute and make South Africa better, she said. She motivated the crowd present and ensured that the day was indeed one of celebration.

One of the guest speakers was Cllr Dot Corrigan who started her political career in the constituency when she first stood for office in the 2000 Elections. She spoke about how good it was to go back to her “political roots” in Johannesburg South.

DAWN Gauteng Provincial Leader, Cllr Suzanne Clarke said that it is women in our history and women today that are shaping and changing South Africa for the better. She spoke about the on-going suffering that women continue to endure in society and how this needed to be addressed. Issues such as maintenance for single mothers and unemployment amongst women continues to be the plight especially of poorer women. However, it was DAWN that was addressing these and other issues on a daily basis.

A number of items of entertainment were enjoyed by all present which included a dance item by the DA Youth dance group as well as a rap song written and performed by young people praising women. Even a clown was present to entertain everyone.

Lunch and socialising ended off a wonderful day paying tribute to women.