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10 June 2008

It is with humility that we commend to you Vote 4 of Home Affairs. Most probably, this is the last Budget Vote we present to you before the end of our present term.

This Vote that we present today is a reflection of the difficult journey we have traversed during the past four years, as well as the choices we made during that time.

The question of course arises whether the turnaround blueprint we are implementing is anything more than a paper tiger! What distinguishes it though is that:
* it derives from a scientific and extensive, and yet brutally honest, diagnosis of the department,
* it is predicated on a sound new vision and design and thus is not limited to tinkering with the status quo and is therefore not reformist,
* it is supported by an extensive turnaround team of experts,
* it enjoys the wholehearted support of the entire department,
* it has a dedicated budget allocation to ensure it succeeds, and
* it enjoys the political support of the executive.

We know that the cynics and critics will continue to doubt whether this vision is authentic and will succeed. But, of this we are certain that there is no turning back now; we will succeed.

Chairperson,

During this, the youth month, we are happy to report that we have continued to seek ways to empower the youth, supporting the government's agenda for youth and skills development.

For 2008/09, 200 internship and 550 national youth service participants will be recruited, trained and placed throughout the department. Working with other partners, we are developing further programmes to empower these youth through regular training and other capacity building programmes.

Umsobomvu Youth Fund pledged four million rand towards these programmes and this amount will be released after the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two parties has been signed.

We are further developing empowerment and capacity building programmes for the youth in the department within the context of the turnaround programme. This should assist young people in the department to understand and participate in the turnaround programme, as well as to develop their leadership capabilities.

Working with the Department of Education, we are implementing the ID Yourself Campaign targeting 16 year olds.

Chairperson,

During this financial year, a total of R50,9 million has been budgeted for the Films and Publications Board (FPB). We are pleased that the Films and Publications Amendment Bill is now close to finality so that we can hasten to improve the effectiveness of the FPB. This Bill will come into effect when both the Sexual Offences as well as the Children's Acts have already been passed, thus increasing our capacity and making our endeavours to protect children from abuse even more effective. While the disjuncture between the budget of the FPB and its ever growing mandate and demands remains a challenge, creative ways will continue to be found to enable the organisation to discharge its responsibilities.

The significance of this is underscored by the surveys the FPB has undertaken in the past two years which have highlighted a growing demand to protect children from sexual exploitation as well as from exposure to illicit material through the media, internet and mobile phones.

Under the able leadership of the Honourable Annelize van Wyk, the Ministerial Task Team on Child Pornography has worked hard to try to co-ordinate our efforts and lead the campaign to combat this crime.

Research data on the phenomenon of internet and cell phone child abuse is limited. The extent of the problem in South Africa is not known but some estimates claim that there are more than one million child sexual abuse images available daily on the internet. This figure is escalating given that unprecedented numbers of people now have private access to the internet and mobile phones.

Children with internet and high end cell phones are more vulnerable to abuse, especially when they utilise these technologies without supervision.

On 1 and 2 June this year, we held the national indaba on preventing the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and combating child pornography which was attended by various stakeholders, including some Honourable Members of this House.

On 1 July 2008, the FPB will launch a hotline website service that will afford members of the public an online opportunity anonymously to report any unsolicited child pornography or sexual abuse images discovered on the internet. The hotline will be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The website, a first of its kind on the African continent, is also intended to alert internet service providers of criminal activities, relating to child pornography and/or sexual abuse images hosted on their servers or distributed through their infrastructure.

The FPB is also looking to join a network of internet hotlines worldwide by becoming a member of the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) in order to exchange information about illegal content with other INHOPE members worldwide which would further allow us to take action against images of child sexual abuse images on the internet which are hosted outside South Africa.

During the 2008/09 financial year, the FPB will:
* implement the National Indaba Programme of Action,
* implement the Amendment Bill,
* strengthen the capacity and capability at all levels within the board,
* enhance compliance with corporate governance principles,
* enhance broader stakeholder participation,
* enhance international co-operation on child pornography,
* position the FPB properly,
* develop a back-up and data recovery infrastructure for the organisation, and
* develop infrastructure to support the Knowledge Information Management (KIM) strategy.

Chairperson,

The security printing capabilities of the Government Printing Works (GPW) have given it a strong grounding to provide security printing service in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The GPW has procured the state of the art equipment to enable it to be compliant in the issuance of Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD) as well as e-MRTD (e-passport).

We are still pursuing the objective to secure a new facility that would be appropriate for high security printing. Meanwhile, we have secured alternative temporary location to house the passport manufacturing machine which may eventually become our permanent home.

During the past year, we strengthened our strategic partnerships and research capabilities, working with South African Paper and Pulp Industry (SAPPI) and the SA Banknote. Once the new site is developed, we intend to establish a forensic laboratory to conduct limited analysis of all face value documents GPW produces.

During last year's Budget Vote, we indicated that we were on the verge of finalising the GPW Conversion model and strategy. We have been meticulous in this regard, careful not to adopt a model that would end in inevitable failure. We must emphasise it here that the conversion of the GPW is not intended for the purpose to increase the salaries of executive managers, but to make the organisation efficient and effective in the discharge of its mandate as a state security printing agency.

Today, we wish to report to you that we are closest than we have ever been towards concluding this process. A feasible business case can be made for the corporatisation of GPW to a Schedule 3B Public Entity over a five year period. Ultimately, we have agreed on a model that would see the GPW converted into a Government Component, in terms of the legislation approved on 1 April 2008. This is in view of the fact that the GPW's state of readiness is not yet at a point of a full and successful conversion. The government component would provide GPW with an appropriate model to achieve its objectives but in a phased and sustainable manner.

In this regard, the notice of operation will be published by the end of June 2008 thus ushering in the new era of GPW operating as a government component as it consolidates its financial viability. Over the next five years GPW will generate approximately one billion rand revenue in security printing. During this financial year, the GPW will consolidate the transformation process it began to embark upon in the previous year, and shall further:
* complete the establishment of the government component,
* proceed with the technology upgrade, upgrading our machinery and IT systems,
* implement the Marketing and Alignment Strategy, and
* continuing to seek new premises.

We trust that the select committee shall support us in this endeavour.

I wish to thank the minister, my family, Director General, the CEOs of both the GPW and FPB, as well as all the officials of te ministry and the department as a whole for their support, tolerating our demands. I must also thank the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the GPW, and the Honourable Annelize van Wyk and members of her team for their efforts.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
10 June 2008
Source: Department of Home Affairs (http://www.home-affairs.gov.za)