Long home affairs queues pose possible Covid-19 ‘super-spreader’ risk
“It is further concerning that the long queues are prevalent at the time of the Covid-19 crisis.”
If the Department of Home Affairs do not solve its IT problems, then the long queues at their offices could become Covid-19 “super-spreaders”.
This was the warning from the portfolio committee on Home Affairs.
“We are disappointed that the department has failed to fix its computer problems,” said advocate Bongani Bongo, the committee’s chairperson.
“These challenges continue to hamper the department’s ability to deliver quality services.
“It is further concerning that the long queues are prevalent at the time of the Covid-19 crisis.”
Bongo said the committee received briefings from the department on its annual report for the 2019-20 financial year as well as a briefing from the auditor general on the audit outcomes of the annual report for the financial year.
“It is unacceptable that the IT environment has not improved over the past few financial years, and is worrying in the context of a department with a vision to be totally automated in delivering services,” he said.
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“It is also unacceptable that it has taken this long to fill the ICT deputy director-general post.”
He said the committee considered the position critical in resolving technological challenges at the department.
He added that the glaring and perpetual long queues that were evident at service points indicated the far reaching implications of the lack of improvement within the IT environment.
Further, the committee was concerned that the department was stagnating in its audit opinion, especially on the matter of material findings on compliance with legislation and over the contingent liability that the department was facing as a result of litigations.
“To this end, the R284-million in irregular expenditure with R277-million of payments made on the ABIS project must be investigated and concluded.”
Despite this, however, the committee welcomed the assurance from the department of interviewing the shortlisted applicants to fill the position of the ICT post.
“The committee will await a report within a month from the department on progress in filling the critical positions within the department’s IT environment.”
Bongo said the committee also welcomed the achievement of 75% of planned targets over the financial year by the department.
“While the committee appreciates the department for the achievement of its service delivery targets, it has called for a detailed plan indicating a clear timeline on achieving the remaining targets.”
The committee also welcomed the decrease in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the year under review.
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