'We won't turn away undocumented people,' Treasury boss reveals

The government has revealed that illegal immigrants will also benefit from the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.

National Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane said this during a virtual meeting between his department and the SA National Editors Forum on Wednesday afternoon.

“We are in SA and we have many millions of undocumented people and [we can't say they shouldn't receive the vaccine as they are undocumented]. The demand for the vaccine is going to be exceeded, and we are not going to turn away undocumented people…” said Mogajane, without revealing more details.

He said that getting the vaccine was for the public good, and it would be appreciated if medical aid companies could procure vaccine dosages for two or three extra people who are not their clients.

“We welcome all the donations and if medical aids want to pay for three people extra, and they must know that it's for the public good,” he said, as he urged donations relating to the vaccine to be channelled towards the Solidarity Fund.

Mogajane noted that the Covid-19 vaccination programme was the responsibility of the state and “the state cannot be found wanting” in this regard.

Treasury deputy director-general Ismael Momoniat said that in the meetings he has been attending at Nedlac they have seen a growing demand for the extension of social grants for unemployed people, as well as the extension of the Temporary Employment Relief Scheme and the loan guarantee scheme.

Momoniat said that some people made these demands as if the country was still on level 5 hard lockdown.

He, however, said they were busy talking with the department of employment and labour about the relief measures.

Another Treasury official said a request for deviation from normal processes in the procurement of the vaccine and in the transportation and distribution had been approved.

The official said the four logistics companies, which include DSV, had been awarded a contract to transport the Covid-19 vaccines at temperatures ranging between minus -17°C and 5°C.

The official said that contracts would be reviewed in six months

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The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is looking to conclude its biometrics tender by the end of the year.

So says Siya Qoza, DHA ministerial spokesperson, after the department received a preliminary forensic investigation report into the awarding of the botched Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) tender.

The ABIS system was supposed to be up and running after 12 months but this hasn’t happened yet. The contract was awarded in 2015.

Implementation of the ABIS system was delayed after the missing of master files in the contract, with EOH prompting the DHA to launch a forensic audit on how the tender was awarded.

The preliminary report’s assessment of the process, according to officials, has now been presented to the DHA but the department remains mum on its findings, saying it’s waiting for the final report.

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has since last year been making amends to salvage the controversial multimillion-rand project, which saw the department slapping technology services company EOH with a R44 million penalty over delays in the implementation of the project.

In his presentation to the portfolio committee last year, Motsoaledi revealed that out of the R400 million contract, R224 million had already been spent on services, infrastructure and software. The budget still available for the project is R129 million.

Commenting on the progress of the project, Qoza says: “The project is still continuing with its implementation on the basis of the signed master services agreement between DHA and EOH. EOH has not been released from its obligations.

“The DHA intends to finalise the ABIS issues before the end of the current calendar year, to ensure phase one of the project goes live into production.”

“A preliminary report has been handed over to the department. The department awaits the final report.”

Ructions over the contract have been growing since November, when reports emerged that recommendations had been made to the department that the contract be ceded to French multinational technology company IDEMIA.

It is this recommendation that has caused controversy, with questions being asked as to why a subcontractor that was part of a consortium that failed to deliver the ABIS system on time should be the one to take over.

IDEMIA’s empowerment credentials as per the tender requirements were also flagged as a concern because it’s a French-headquartered company.

Motsoaledi, however, denied IDEMIA was the preferred company to take over the project from EOH.

He added that the DHA was considering various rescue plans, including the ceding of the contract on condition that such action doesn’t lead to excessive additional costs.

The matter was then referred to National Treasury for guidance.

“The matter is still under consideration at National Treasury, including additional information that has been requested,” Qoza tells ITWeb

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Home affairs sets new deadline to deliver biometrics project

IT Web – 27 January 2021

 

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is looking to conclude its biometrics tender by the end of the year.

So says Siya Qoza, DHA ministerial spokesperson, after the department received a preliminary forensic investigation report into the awarding of the botched Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) tender.

The ABIS system was supposed to be up and running after 12 months but this hasn’t happened yet. The contract was awarded in 2015.

Implementation of the ABIS system was delayed after the missing of master files in the contract, with EOH prompting the DHA to launch a forensic audit on how the tender was awarded.

The preliminary report’s assessment of the process, according to officials, has now been presented to the DHA but the department remains mum on its findings, saying it’s waiting for the final report.

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has since last year been making amends to salvage the controversial multimillion-rand project, which saw the department slapping technology services company EOH with a R44 million penalty over delays in the implementation of the project.

In his presentation to the portfolio committee last year, Motsoaledi revealed that out of the R400 million contract, R224 million had already been spent on services, infrastructure and software. The budget still available for the project is R129 million.

Commenting on the progress of the project, Qoza says: “The project is still continuing with its implementation on the basis of the signed master services agreement between DHA and EOH. EOH has not been released from its obligations.

“The DHA intends to finalise the ABIS issues before the end of the current calendar year, to ensure phase one of the project goes live into production.”

“A preliminary report has been handed over to the department. The department awaits the final report.”

Ructions over the contract have been growing since November, when reports emerged that recommendations had been made to the department that the contract be ceded to French multinational technology company IDEMIA.

It is this recommendation that has caused controversy, with questions being asked as to why a subcontractor that was part of a consortium that failed to deliver the ABIS system on time should be the one to take over.

IDEMIA’s empowerment credentials as per the tender requirements were also flagged as a concern because it’s a French-headquartered company.

Motsoaledi, however, denied IDEMIA was the preferred company to take over the project from EOH.

He added that the DHA was considering various rescue plans, including the ceding of the contract on condition that such action doesn’t lead to excessive additional costs.

The matter was then referred to National Treasury for guidance.

“The matter is still under consideration at National Treasury, including additional information that has been requested,” Qoza tells ITWeb

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EXTENSION OF VALIDITY OF ASYLUM SEEKER AND REFUGEE PERMITS TO 31ST of MARCH 2021

1. Validity of asylum seeker and refugee permits

Following the announcement by the President of the Republic of South Africa to put the country on adjusted alert level 3, the Minister of Home Affairs issued the Direction on the 14th of January 2021 regarding services that will be provided by the Department of Home Affairs. The Directions in paragraph 2.1 thereof made reference to the extension of the validity of visas and permits that were issued by DHA.  To this end, this statement serves to confirm that all permits/visa issued to refugees and asylum seekers are deemed valid until 31st of  March 2021.

Holders of asylum seeker and refugee permits do not need to extend their permits  since the Minister of Home Affairs has extended all permits/visas and deemed them valid until 31st of  March 2021.

 All the rights, benefits and obligations of asylum seekers and refugees remain the same. 

 2. Refugee Reception Centres remain closed

The Refugee Reception Centres have closed since the commencement of the national state of disaster. The Refugee Reception Centres will remain closed until the Department of Home Affairs declares them open.

All stakeholders, refugees and asylum seekers will be notified when the Refugee Reception Centres are declared open.

 * This statement is to be read alongside the Government Gazette No.44072 issued on 14 January 2021 by the Department of Home Affairs on measures to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19.

This statement is to be read alongside the statement made by the Minister of Home Affairs on the 30th of September 2020 that states that, ' the Department of Home Affairs is extending the validity period of legally issued visas which expired during the lockdown period to 31 January 2021.'

 

The Department of Home Affairs has announced that along with several other changes to services it provides the registration of births will no longer occur at Home Affairs offices.

Instead, births are to be "registered at the health facilities where they occur. These are the 156 health facilities with Home Affairs office presence," Minister Aaron Motsoaledi noted in a statement.

 

Highlighting the alarming number of Covid-19 infections occurring at the department's more than 400 offices across the country, as well as the difficulty in enforcing Covid-19 protocols in large crowds, the Minister said the decision had been "forced by circumstances".

 

The services the minister confirmed as suspended pending further notice include applications for IDs, passports and marriage certificates.

 

For a list of health facilities new parents will be able to consult for birth registration visit: Dha.gov.za

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