Home Affairs Budget Declaration Vote: ACDP

Steve Swart MP –ACDP

Friday, June 21, 2002


In Parliament yesterday African Christian Democratic Party MP Mr Steve Swart gave the following speech registering the ACDP’s vote in support of the Home Affairs Budget:

Madame Speaker,

The shoddy manner in which the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs was treated during the Immigration Bill cannot be overlooked during this debate. It is undeniable that Parliament owes him an apology. How was it possible that we allowed a Bill to be tabled which was profoundly different from the government’s policies and the terms of the debate on immigration control during the past seven years. How is it possible that a revised version of the Bill was only informally presented to the Minister 48 hours prior to his debate on the Bill, without his department being involved or consulted. “Up until 48 hours ago, our Government maintained and declared to the world a policy based on the tenets which have now been subverted[1].”

The ACDP is extremely concerned that the Department is to receive R300 million less than requested, and that the nearly R120 million underfunding cited had been identified as "critical to service delivery".

The major problem facing the department continues to be a lack of personnel. The Department has to date been functioning with a fixed establishment approved by the office of the Public Service Commission during 1995, which is comprised of 6 982 posts. Of this establishment 6 252 are filled and 730 are vacant. Since the rationalisation of the Public Service in 1994, which culminated in the demise of the TBVC States the demand for services rendered by the Department increased dramatically. This has resulted in a tremendous challenge for the Department to utilise as far as possible all available resources.

Notwithstanding the reservations, the ACDP will support this budget vote.

I thank you.


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For further comment please call Steve Swart MP at 083 285 6290 or ACDP Media Liaison Liza Bloemetje at 082 478 1037





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[1] Minister Buthelezi’s speech on the Immigration Bill, May 17, 2002.