Dr. Leon Schreiber Vows to Restore Dignity and Efficiency in Department Operations

“There is nothing that brings dignity like a job. There is a 1.25% increase in employment for South Africans for every 1% increase in skilled, legal immigration,” Schreiber noted.

Home Affairs Minister, Dr. Leon Schreiber, has emphasized the critical role his department plays in ensuring the dignity of citizens. "The dignity of being able to travel beyond our borders. The dignity of giving your child their name on a birth certificate. The dignity of being able to have a bank account and to access an old age pension," Schreiber stated.

Presenting the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Budget Vote on Monday, Schreiber committed to improving citizens' interactions with the department, highlighting the dedication of many departmental officials in serving the people of South Africa.

"There is nothing that brings dignity like a job. There is a 1.25% increase in employment for South Africans for every 1% increase in skilled, legal immigration," Schreiber noted. He emphasized that the National Treasury has identified increasing the availability of scarce skills in the labor market as a crucial step for economic growth and job creation.

To fulfill this mandate, Home Affairs will enhance its role as an economic enabler by accelerating the implementation of Operation Vulindlela's reforms. "Alongside steps that have already been taken, such as the streamlining of required documents and the introduction of the Trusted Employer Scheme, we will do much more," he said. Operation Vulindlela is a government-driven initiative aimed at accelerating structural reforms in key sectors to achieve inclusive economic growth.

Schreiber stressed the urgency of clearing the backlog in the processing of permits. "The department has set up a dedicated team to reduce the backlog. Our team has already processed 92,886 applications out of a total of 306,042, reducing the backlog by 30%. But we must do more, as clearing this backlog is essential to avoid further extensions of visa, waiver, and appeal concessions," he stated. Schreiber has requested daily reports on the backlog until it is eradicated.

An encouraging development is the DHA's partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), involving auditing firm Deloitte and First National Bank providing additional resources for the visa backlog team. "This partnership lays the foundation for overcoming this obstacle to economic growth and job creation, and fosters a more constructive relationship with the private sector. Repairing our relationship with key stakeholders is vital to building trust and the partnerships we need to move forward," Schreiber said.

Schreiber emphasized that the current backlog situation cannot continue, as it consumes valuable resources that could be better spent on other priorities. He has requested a dashboard to reflect all outstanding court orders to ensure compliance and avoid costly litigation. Clearing the permit backlog will also expedite the issuance of outcomes, providing much-needed relief and efficiency in the department's operations.