The Department of Home Affairs Set to Start Digitisation Project That Will Create Jobs for 10 000 Graduates

• The Department of Home Affairs is set to embark on a digitisation project that is expected to create employment for 10 000 unemployed youths
• Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that the project which is expected to run from November 2022 to October 2025 will offer employment opportunities to about 6 000 young women
• The department encouraged those who qualify for positions that will be advertised to apply

The Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said that the department is set to begin a digitisation project which will create employment for unemployed graduates.

According to various reports, the ministry has more than 350 million documents ranging from marriage certificates, birth and death certificates as well as amendment paper records dating back as far as 1895 that will need to be digitised.

Read also

Illegal mining: South African economy takes whopping R41 billion hit as 6 000 mines lie abandoned

Motsoaledi also assured the public that digitising will also ensure an improvement in service delivery and security of the documents, TimesLIVE reports. He said:

"The department is increasingly using technology to improve the way it renders services to people and to improve the security of our documents."

The department also seeks to employ youths with qualifications from tertiary institutions who are eligible for the jobs. According to the Minister, those qualified in information technology and document, information and records management can apply for the vacancies.

According to EWN, adverts for the department's digitisation project was put out on Friday, 12 August. Per the publication, employees will be paid between R5,000 to R14,000 depending on the level of the job. Motsoaledi said:

"The total budget over the three-year period will be R2.4 billion, but the first R500 million will end at the end of the financial year. That’s why we did the calculations in phases."

Read also

Home Affairs' plan to recruit 10 000 graduates for a digitisation project - everything you need to know

6 000 abandoned mines cost South Africa over R41 Billion, government collaboration needed to end the loss

Briefly News also reported that Harmony Gold Mine is calling for the reinstatement of a specialised police unit to combat illicit trade stemming from illegal mining. It was revealed in a Parliamentary Mineral and Energy Oversite Committee meeting that over 6 000 abandoned mines cost the South African economy R41 billion a year.

eNCA reported that several stakeholders briefed the oversight committee on what they were doing to combat illegal mining on Friday, 12 August.

The portfolio committee discovered blatant gaps within government after an oversight visit to illegal mining hotspots in Gauteng.

Source: Briefly News