/ 20 December 2024

Leon Schreiber

Members Of The National Executive Swearing In Ceremony In South Africa
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber. (Photo by Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

SCORE: B


Leon Schreiber did two laudable things after he landed at the home affairs department. First, he conceded what every South African and many foreigners know — the litany of incompetence, backlogs and corruption. Second, he decided to revive the Immigration Advisory Board, which his predecessors had mothballed despite it being mandatory in law. Schreiber’s answer to the department’s chaos is digitalisation, coupled with a review of application systems to recognise the role skilled immigrants play in the economy. He committed to eradicating a backlog of 300 000 visa applications by year’s end and is close to reaching that target. Which makes claiming credit for a visa waiver accord with Ukraine he did not negotiate all the more silly.