Parliament, Wednesday, 28 February 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs welcomes progress achieved in appointing members of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel, as per section 23 (9) (b) of the recently passed Electoral Amendment Act of 2023. The committee in December 2023 recommended that the process be reopened to ensure that the people on the shortlist are representative and have the necessary skills and experience to deliver on the panel’s mandate.
The panel’s mandate is to consider broader electoral reform and must deliver its report to the Minister of Home Affairs one year after the 2024 elections. The committee was informed that following the committee’s recommendation (subsequently adopted by the National Assembly), the department now has 32 candidates that meet the criteria set in section 23 (1)(b) of the Act. This list includes seven women and two candidates below the age of 35.
The Minister assured the committee that what is left to do is the legislated consultation with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), which is scheduled to happen in the next seven days. The committee urged the Minister to conclude this process to ensure that the panel is ready to deliver on its mandate.
Meanwhile, the committee welcomed the comprehensive election timetable for the 2024 provincial and national elections, as per section 20 of the Electoral Act, 1998. The committee is convinced that the timetable sets the necessary framework for free and fair elections and affords both candidates and voters adequate time to prepare and participate adequately in the elections. The committee has called on all South Africans to familiarise themselves with the timetable, to verify their details on the voters’ roll, and make appeals and apply for special votes if necessary.
The committee also welcomed assurances from the Minister that the Department of Home Affairs and the IEC have streamlined their processes to ensure that only eligible voters will vote in the upcoming elections. The committee cautioned against spreading misinformation, especially on social media, and has reemphasised its strong confidence in the IEC to deliver credible elections.
In addition, the committee also received a briefing on the Department of Home Affairs’ 2024/25 budget and welcomed the increases in employees baseline compensation over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, which translates to R401 million in 2024/25, R438 million in 2025/26, and R443 million in 2026/27. The committee welcomed this in the context of the need to fill critical vacancies, such as mobile operators and hospital clerks, who are critical in ensuring greater reach for the department’s services.
Despite this, the committee was concerned that the digitisation project did not receive any additional funding, but welcomed assurances that reprioritisation of R300 million has been undertaken to fund this critical project and that further consultation is underway with National Treasury to find funding for this project.
Also, the committee welcomed the readjustment of the planned budget cuts for the IEC, from the R280.3 million initially envisioned to R30.4 million instead. The committee emphasised that the IEC continues to play a critical role in South Africa’s democracy and high budget cuts would have made it difficult for them to delivery on their mandate. The reduction of the budget cut is also important in the context of the new electoral system that the IEC will implement for the 2024 elections.
Furthermore, the committee remains concerned about the shortfall in funding for the Border Management Authority (BMA) and cautioned that the limited funding remains a significant risk to the delivery of the authority’s mandate. The inadequate funding will limit its capacity to hire and retain a skilled labour force, provide the necessary tools of trade and invest in technology to close South Africa’s porous borders. In this light, the committee welcomed the reversal of the BMA’s budget cuts but said the BMA would need more funding to operate to its full potential.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS, MR MOSA CHABANE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour