The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will approach Cabinet for additional funds by the end of this year, as it pursues a new, modern, secure vision that will see it “realigned and repositioned” within South Africa’s governance system.

With a medium-term budget allocation of some R7.1-billion, the rebuilding of the DHA, now tucked safely under the umbrella of South Africa’s security cluster, would fundamentally contribute to economic development and national security, enable effective service delivery and support governance and administration, which would likely see the department requiring a larger budget.

“By the end of this year, we will present a business case to Cabinet for approval,” Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said during a pre-Budget Vote media briefing on Friday.

In February, Cabinet reclassified the DHA under the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster. Previously, the department was classified as a general administration support service under the Governance and Administration Cluster.

“The mandate of the DHA is to maintain a secure, accurate register of the identity and status of all within the borders of our country, which is a critical enabler of all other functions of the State. It is also mandated to manage the immigration system, which impacts directly on national security, social cohesion and the achievement of development goals,” Cabinet said at the time.

However, while some of the DHA’s targets could be impacted by budget constraints, the department would “strive to use existing resources creatively”.

It would also make “innovative use” of public–private partnerships (PPPs), Gigaba said, citing examples of partnerships with banks to expand the DHA’s footprint, provide new and innovative channels of delivery, expedite the conversion of the smart identity (ID) cards and reduce citizens’ reliance solely on Home Affairs branches.

“There will be opportunities for Home Affairs to generate new revenue streams and, hence, the overall impact of this realignment on the fiscus should be positive,” Gigaba added.

Meanwhile, steady progress was being made on modernising and digitising Home Affairs, including the implementation of a live capture system to support the issue of smart ID cards and passports.

To date, some 4.1-million smart ID cards had been issued, with the 2.2-million target last year having been met.

A target of another 2.2-million smart ID cards had been set for this year.

“Over the next few years, we must replace 38-million ID books with smart ID cards. Live capture offices have increased from 140 to 178 and all of them now accept payment by cash, credit and debit cards,” he noted, adding that modernisation required the development of new channels to serve citizens more conveniently.

In line with this, the department introduced eHomeAffairs, also in partnership with four banks, which unlocked an online platform to apply and pay for smart ID cards and passports and collect them at a bank branch.

Just over 8 053 applicants had used eHomeAffairs, which was operational at 11 bank branches in Gauteng and one in Western Cape, to apply for smart ID cards and passports.

As part of the modernisation efforts, DHA would digitise six-million birth paper records to improve efficiency and automate birth, marriage and death processes in a similar manner to the smart ID card and the passport application process.

Other priorities for the department this year included the completion of the business case for upgrading the physical and systems infrastructure of six key land ports of entry, with a PPP registered with the National Treasury last year.

“We expect the final Treasury approval will be obtained in 2018, paving the way for the commencement of bidding and actual construction by 2018/19,” Gigaba said.

“As we continue to reimagine Home Affairs and deliver new channels of service delivery, we are making visible strides in meeting our performance targets, rising to about 80% in 2015/16, compared to close to 70% in 2014/15 and 50% in 2013/14,” he concluded.