Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says the use of the automation system at its offices has helped cut corruption and ensure a faster and more improved service.
He says his department will soon be rolling out the electronic visa system. Gigaba briefed the media in Johannesburg on his department’s initiatives to improve services and reduce long queues at its offices countrywide.
“Even at the ports of entry we have introduced automation, biometric capture, the enhanced motion control system, all of which assists us to create profiles particularly for frequent visitors to our country. So that when we begin introducing the electronic visa and the trusted traveller visa programme, we will now know better who these people who visit our country regularly are.”
Asylum seekers will soon be able to know within a day of applying whether their asylum seekers permit has been granted or not. Gigaba says the pilot project of automating asylum seekers applications, carried out at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Reception Centre in Pretoria, has been a resounding success.
“People no longer have to wait a year or two years for their asylum claims to be adjudicated, it can happen in most instances, it takes place all within a day because we do not want someone who has run away from their country for fear of persecution to now come to South Africa to experience further disruption to their lives as a result of inefficiencies on our part. We will be extending these services to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Musina.”
