Home Affairs Budget Vote Report; Reports on: Home Affairs Quarterly Performance, Limpopo Oversight and IEC Commissioner remuneration recommendations

Video Annual Performance Plan (APP) of Government Departments & Entities 2026/27 The Portfolio Committee considered reports on the Department of Affairs' budget vote, quarterly performance, and oversight visit to Limpopo. During deliberations on the Draft Budget Vote 5 Report for 2026/27, Members raised concerns regarding visa processing targets, integration of automated birth registration systems, unresolved jurisdictional issues between the BMA and SAPS, and risks linked to DHA digitalisation initiatives. Members criticised omissions in the draft report, including inadequate reflection of oversight recommendations, unresolved mobile unit implementation challenges, IT funding reductions, GPW system failures, and technical risks within the IEC’s voter registration systems ahead of local government elections. Several Members requested detailed plans and accountability reports from the DHA, GPW, IEC and departmental leadership on workforce concerns, digitisation, infrastructure, kiosks, and mobile units. The Chairperson directed support staff to revise the report to include Members’ recommendations and deferred adoption of the Budget Vote Report to a later meeting pending additional information and further deliberations.  Members criticised the Limpopo oversight report for resembling meeting minutes rather than a strategic oversight assessment, and called for stronger recommendations on infrastructure, staffing, digitisation, and coordination between the DHA and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). The Committee agreed that the report should be reworked before adoption. The DHA quarterly performance report was ultimately adopted, while consideration of the IEC remuneration report was deferred pending responses from the IEC on election readiness, Section 24A assessments, vetting measures, and voter registration system failures. The Committee further adopted several sets of outstanding meeting minutes, discussed cross-border corruption and Tactical Response Team matters with the BMA, and noted a proposed engagement with Veda Global regarding election-related matters before adjourning the meeting.