5th May 2010

Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Minister, Honourable Members,

The success or failure of any State department is measured not only by what it does, or fails to do, but also by the feelings and concerns of the citizenry. This too, applies to the newly established Department of State Security. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon this Department to allay the people's fears by addressing their concerns albeit within the stringent confines of the secretive nature of information that deals with intelligence matters.

Within the limits of the time allocated to me, I will deal with only two concerning issues. The first pertains to the protection of SA's porous borders and the other deals with the FIFA World Cup tournament which will kick-off in South Africa next month.

Turning to the issue of our borders, it must be pointed out that the concern is not only the infiltration of our borders by illegal immigrants but also the criminal element that are often associated with the influx of these illegal immigrants into a county. By way of example, may I cite the unfortunate and ever increasing number of murders of farmers and farm workers in our country? This had led to serious concerns being raised by the youth wing of Afriforum in a memorandum which contains a list of 1600 people who have been murdered on SA farms in recent years. The Afriforum youth, under the chairmanship of Ernst Roets, drew connection between the said list and the pursuant singing of "kill the boer" song by the President of the ANCYL, Julius Malema. To those who compiled the memorandum, each name listed was sacred as a representative of a loved one who was untimely and brutally removed from the land of their living.

The way in which the memorandum was received by the Youth League must be condemned with contempt. The list of victims was scattered on the street and trampled on the ground. It is under circumstances such as these that the Department of State Security must come forward and assure the farmers, white or black, that their lives are important to the State and that they too are entitled to protection from the State.

We in the IFP congratulate the Honourable Minister of State Security for his appointment to the Chair of the newly established South African National Border Management Agency. We would like to believe that with him at the helm of the new agency, cross border crime and illegal entry of foreigners into our country will be minimised. Only the Minister can reassure the SA citizenry on these concerns.

The Minister accordingly needs to take the People of South Africa into his confidence by amongst other things, media briefings and public statements, to show that their concerns are receiving attention.

With respect to the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup - the recurrent and persistent concerns raised by the local and international community are whether it will take place in a crime free and safe environment. Media reports which highlight the fact that some individuals are planning to use this joyous occasion to unlawfully line their pockets are alarming to say the least. We however, appreciate the swift action that was taken against these individuals.

Another concern is expressed by those who have invested their hard earned money in projects connected to the World Cup showpiece. Their concerns relate to whether the recently quoted figures of 373 000 tourists to our country, down from the previously estimated 483 000, will still be realised.

This is pursuant to the fact that of three million tickets produced, only about 300 000 of them have been purchased by soccer enthusiasts outside SA.

Have the rest been discouraged by prophets of doom including some British journalists who are dissuading people of the world to come and experience the FIFA World Cup in SA, which they described as the crime capital of the world?

We are well aware of the capacity of our security agencies to ensure security and stability during the time of major international events in our country. Examples range from the Rugby World Cup tournament, which took place in SA in 1995, and culminate in the FIFA Confederations Cup which took place in an atmosphere of peace in 2008.

In spite of this, for the sake of doubting Thomases, we need this Department to publicly dispute the claims of the prophets of doom and encourage the whole world to come and grace our shores during the World Cup.

Lastly, the IFP endorses the action plans as laid out by the Department of State Security to ensure the safety and security of this country and its citizens.

Accordingly, the IFP supports this budget.

I thank you!