Date: 28/11/2003
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Farewell function for Home Affairs DDG
FAREWELL PARTY FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL, MR IVAN LAMBINON: REMARKS BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS, Civitas Building, Pretoria, 28 November 2003
I feel that we are not here to bid farewell to Mr Lambinon, but rather to celebrate his life and career which are, indeed, a life and a career of integrity, achievement and professionalism. In fact, Mr Lambinon is not leaving the family of Home Affairs, even though he will no longer be a Deputy Director-General and he will no longer be part of the civil service. He has accepted my invitation to act as the Pro Tempore Chairman of the Immigration Advisory Board, which is one of the statutory bodies within the line function responsibility of the Department of Home Affairs. Therefore, he will remain part and parcel of our organisation and, indeed, one of the most pre-eminent members of our Home Affairs family. Nonetheless, it is proper and fitting that we convene on this occasion to salute Mr Lambinon, because he will no longer be in the chain of authority of the line function and he has relinquished his position of Deputy Director-General.
When, in May 1994, I first assumed my office as Minister of Home Affairs, and first came to the department, it was Mr Lambinon who received me as the first official who opened the door for me and greeted me with warmth and enthusiasm. Soon thereafter, I was to meet with the then Director-General, Mr Colyn. Since this first moment, Mr Lambinon welcomed and accepted me with genuine enthusiasm and accepted to serve me and the new government with unparallel dedication, professionalism and zeal. I have rarely met anyone who works as hard and with as much commitment as Mr Lambinon has done for me, our department and our government, for the past almost ten years. He has been, and he remains, a fulgid example of the best tradition of professionalism, which is embodied in our civil service.
Mr Lambinon had to suffer many humiliations because of his dedication to me and his dedication to Home Affairs. On this occasion I want to provide unqualified testimony to his absolute integrity and dedication, not to me as a person, but to our government and to our Republic. He was the person who pushed each and every stage of the new reform of our system of migration control, starting from the Green Paper and going into the processing of the Immigration Bill through National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), all the interdepartmental consultations and all the parliamentary stages. I have no hesitation in saying that without his commitment this reform would not have been possible and it is not just I who should bear gratitude to him but, indeed, all those who have recognised the merits and virtues of the Immigration Act and its Regulations.
Also, it is without reservation that I must say that without his contribution, leadership and commitment the Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS) project would have never reached its present level of completion. He has driven this project always having the best interests of the State at heart. He sought solutions that would ensure the best efficiency and that corruption would not creep into this important government procurement. If the HANIS project has not yet been completed it is not because of his fault or lack of commitment. Had it been up to him, the last component of the HANIS project, namely the electronic identity card, would have been completed and we would have met our original schedule of issuing such identity cards by March of next year.
It was also because of Mr Lambinon that I could pursue my vision of devolving civic affairs to municipalities. I am saying things that are well known and self-evident to the majority of those convened here today. You all know that Mr Lambinon has been a beacon of strength and, indeed, one of the backbones of this department. However, I feel that it is, nonetheless, important for me as the Minister of this department, to publicly acknowledge that the work of this extraordinary servant of the State and servant of the people has not gone unnoticed and shall be remembered. It is also for me to make a statement to counter some of the most vicious and unjustified lies that were propagated by certain people who, obviously, did not understand the nobility, commitment and professionalism of this extraordinary human being. I have known racism all my life. All my life I have suffered because of racism and been the object of racism. I have detected racism in many people who premise their viewpoint by saying "I am not a racist". No one can teach me anything about racism. Against this background I can feel more than comfortable in stating that there is not even a trace of racism in this noble, dedicated and patriotic South African. He is a man who has done honour to me, our department, our government and our Republic.
I also wish to praise him for having been such a good team player. You all know his capacity for working with people. While other people around him lost their temper, experienced frustration or gave up, this tireless leader never lost his serenity, his compassion and his ever-present captivating smile. Nowadays, there is great talk about people's auras. I might be old fashioned, but I am generally not one of those who can read the aura of people, nor necessarily believe that they exist. Nonetheless, if I were to talk in terms of auras, I would undoubtedly say that in all his dealings with me, even through hard times, Mr Lambinon has always been accompanied by a very positive aura that surrounds his entire persona. He is a man who gives a complete new dimension to the word optimism. For this reason, I am very delighted that he continues to work with us. In my life I follow the events surrounding many statutory bodies, commissions and boards, but I have never witnessed what I have seen Mr Lambinon doing with the Immigration Advisory Board. The Board has been in existence for seven months and has produced more work and activities than many others Boards do in years. It is no surprise that a professional runner like Mr Lambinon has made his Board run at the pace which has no equal, and has trained it to do so in a sustainable and viable manner, in the same way as he has trained so many people to run marathons.
I also feel duty bound to acknowledge that Mr Lambinon represents a part of South African history which is greater than he is. I am a great believer in the ethic justification and historical necessity of black empowerment. Black empowerment is something that should have taken place at all costs and must continue to take place. However, I am also a man of honour and truth and I must recognise, as you all have to, that black empowerment comes at a cost and there are certain people who have borne and will continue to bear that cost. Mr Lambinon has been one of such South Africans who have paid that price and also for this we salute and pay tribute to him.
On an occasion like this we are not here to wish Mr Lambinon well and bid him farewell. We wish him courage to continue to drive things as hard as he has always done, now that he is in the Immigration Advisory Board. His presence in the Immigration Advisory Board should not give rise to conflicts nor suspicion. It is important that everyone understands clearly the relationship between our Department and the Immigration Advisory Board. Because this is a new institution it is incumbent upon me, as the Minister, to make it clear what this relationship is and what it entails, and for all of you to understand it correctly and respect and abide by what it involves. The Immigration Advisory Board has a special composition including several departments that are represented at the highest level and very able components of civil society together with experts. The composition of this body has been tailored to dealing with policy matters.
As we have entered a new season in the field of migration, we must recognise that policy formulation in respect of migration control is based on inter-departmental consultations and inputs from civil society and cannot be the exclusive prerogative of the Department of Home Affairs or the Minister. Therefore, while in the past it was the responsibility of the department to advise the Minister on policy matters, this responsibility has now been transferred to the Immigration Advisory Board, which is the Minister's advisor on policy issues, in addition to exercising the specific executive functions, which are ascribed to it by the Immigration Act. In order for the Board to be able to exercise its advisory responsibilities, it must be empowered both with information and access to information. For this reason, the Immigration Act has squarely placed on the shoulders of the Board, the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of the Immigration Act and its administration and advising me about the necessity for improvements, actions or remedial measures. Therefore, the Board will soon be conducting a review and analysis of the administrative implementation of the Immigration Act, which I hope will receive the full co-operation of all relevant officials.
Furthermore, I want Mr Lambinon to remain somehow involved as a resource person in the complex process of privatisation of the Government Printing Works to which he has provided a huge measure of leadership and which, without him, would have just never happened. This is another project which, like the HANIS project, I had instructed had to be completed before the end of this financial year, at the end of March of next year. I do not know whether I will be the Minister of Home Affairs after next year's elections and it is my habit to leave the house in order and complete what I have begun. I regret that neither the HANIS project nor the privatisation of the Government Printing Works has been completed but I sincerely hope that Mr Lambinon's experience, leadership and incredible drive may be retained and drawn from as one of the resources which may ensure that these two projects are completed within the deadline I have given.
Therefore, I am not relinquishing Mr Lambinon to pasture. The time of his retirement has not yet come. I regret to say that what he has ahead of him is still lots of hard work that I ask him to do, not for my sake, but for that of the State, the Republic and the country he loves. I salute this great patriot and this impeccable gentleman. It has been a pleasure and a privilege having him by my side. I thank him profusely for his commitment and I hope that what I have recognised in him will be more widely recognised and appreciated because he deserves it and has earned it. Thank you my friend, thank you my colleague. Thank you to all of you for having made this event possible. A special thank you to our Director-General who had the initiative of having this event. I know that he also misses Mr Lambinon as his Deputy Director-General. He was not very happy when I transferred Mr Lambinon to the Immigration Advisory Board because he feared that he could not do without his experience and support. However, our Director-General has proven that he has much greater resources than he gives himself credit for. He has managed to do without Mr Lambinon and I am confident that he will continue to do so well.
Therefore, I want also to thank him for his dedication and his hard work that also is not going unnoticed. I am confident that I will continue to have with him the same close relationship that I had with Mr Lambinon. We are all part of a team and we are working together well. With our joint efforts we will ensure that ours will be a winning team. I thank all of you for making ours a winning team and I thank all of you for your dedication. May God bless you all.
Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs
28 November 2003
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Farewell function for Home Affairs DDG
FAREWELL PARTY FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL, MR IVAN LAMBINON: REMARKS BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS, Civitas Building, Pretoria, 28 November 2003
I feel that we are not here to bid farewell to Mr Lambinon, but rather to celebrate his life and career which are, indeed, a life and a career of integrity, achievement and professionalism. In fact, Mr Lambinon is not leaving the family of Home Affairs, even though he will no longer be a Deputy Director-General and he will no longer be part of the civil service. He has accepted my invitation to act as the Pro Tempore Chairman of the Immigration Advisory Board, which is one of the statutory bodies within the line function responsibility of the Department of Home Affairs. Therefore, he will remain part and parcel of our organisation and, indeed, one of the most pre-eminent members of our Home Affairs family. Nonetheless, it is proper and fitting that we convene on this occasion to salute Mr Lambinon, because he will no longer be in the chain of authority of the line function and he has relinquished his position of Deputy Director-General.
When, in May 1994, I first assumed my office as Minister of Home Affairs, and first came to the department, it was Mr Lambinon who received me as the first official who opened the door for me and greeted me with warmth and enthusiasm. Soon thereafter, I was to meet with the then Director-General, Mr Colyn. Since this first moment, Mr Lambinon welcomed and accepted me with genuine enthusiasm and accepted to serve me and the new government with unparallel dedication, professionalism and zeal. I have rarely met anyone who works as hard and with as much commitment as Mr Lambinon has done for me, our department and our government, for the past almost ten years. He has been, and he remains, a fulgid example of the best tradition of professionalism, which is embodied in our civil service.
Mr Lambinon had to suffer many humiliations because of his dedication to me and his dedication to Home Affairs. On this occasion I want to provide unqualified testimony to his absolute integrity and dedication, not to me as a person, but to our government and to our Republic. He was the person who pushed each and every stage of the new reform of our system of migration control, starting from the Green Paper and going into the processing of the Immigration Bill through National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), all the interdepartmental consultations and all the parliamentary stages. I have no hesitation in saying that without his commitment this reform would not have been possible and it is not just I who should bear gratitude to him but, indeed, all those who have recognised the merits and virtues of the Immigration Act and its Regulations.
Also, it is without reservation that I must say that without his contribution, leadership and commitment the Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS) project would have never reached its present level of completion. He has driven this project always having the best interests of the State at heart. He sought solutions that would ensure the best efficiency and that corruption would not creep into this important government procurement. If the HANIS project has not yet been completed it is not because of his fault or lack of commitment. Had it been up to him, the last component of the HANIS project, namely the electronic identity card, would have been completed and we would have met our original schedule of issuing such identity cards by March of next year.
It was also because of Mr Lambinon that I could pursue my vision of devolving civic affairs to municipalities. I am saying things that are well known and self-evident to the majority of those convened here today. You all know that Mr Lambinon has been a beacon of strength and, indeed, one of the backbones of this department. However, I feel that it is, nonetheless, important for me as the Minister of this department, to publicly acknowledge that the work of this extraordinary servant of the State and servant of the people has not gone unnoticed and shall be remembered. It is also for me to make a statement to counter some of the most vicious and unjustified lies that were propagated by certain people who, obviously, did not understand the nobility, commitment and professionalism of this extraordinary human being. I have known racism all my life. All my life I have suffered because of racism and been the object of racism. I have detected racism in many people who premise their viewpoint by saying "I am not a racist". No one can teach me anything about racism. Against this background I can feel more than comfortable in stating that there is not even a trace of racism in this noble, dedicated and patriotic South African. He is a man who has done honour to me, our department, our government and our Republic.
I also wish to praise him for having been such a good team player. You all know his capacity for working with people. While other people around him lost their temper, experienced frustration or gave up, this tireless leader never lost his serenity, his compassion and his ever-present captivating smile. Nowadays, there is great talk about people's auras. I might be old fashioned, but I am generally not one of those who can read the aura of people, nor necessarily believe that they exist. Nonetheless, if I were to talk in terms of auras, I would undoubtedly say that in all his dealings with me, even through hard times, Mr Lambinon has always been accompanied by a very positive aura that surrounds his entire persona. He is a man who gives a complete new dimension to the word optimism. For this reason, I am very delighted that he continues to work with us. In my life I follow the events surrounding many statutory bodies, commissions and boards, but I have never witnessed what I have seen Mr Lambinon doing with the Immigration Advisory Board. The Board has been in existence for seven months and has produced more work and activities than many others Boards do in years. It is no surprise that a professional runner like Mr Lambinon has made his Board run at the pace which has no equal, and has trained it to do so in a sustainable and viable manner, in the same way as he has trained so many people to run marathons.
I also feel duty bound to acknowledge that Mr Lambinon represents a part of South African history which is greater than he is. I am a great believer in the ethic justification and historical necessity of black empowerment. Black empowerment is something that should have taken place at all costs and must continue to take place. However, I am also a man of honour and truth and I must recognise, as you all have to, that black empowerment comes at a cost and there are certain people who have borne and will continue to bear that cost. Mr Lambinon has been one of such South Africans who have paid that price and also for this we salute and pay tribute to him.
On an occasion like this we are not here to wish Mr Lambinon well and bid him farewell. We wish him courage to continue to drive things as hard as he has always done, now that he is in the Immigration Advisory Board. His presence in the Immigration Advisory Board should not give rise to conflicts nor suspicion. It is important that everyone understands clearly the relationship between our Department and the Immigration Advisory Board. Because this is a new institution it is incumbent upon me, as the Minister, to make it clear what this relationship is and what it entails, and for all of you to understand it correctly and respect and abide by what it involves. The Immigration Advisory Board has a special composition including several departments that are represented at the highest level and very able components of civil society together with experts. The composition of this body has been tailored to dealing with policy matters.
As we have entered a new season in the field of migration, we must recognise that policy formulation in respect of migration control is based on inter-departmental consultations and inputs from civil society and cannot be the exclusive prerogative of the Department of Home Affairs or the Minister. Therefore, while in the past it was the responsibility of the department to advise the Minister on policy matters, this responsibility has now been transferred to the Immigration Advisory Board, which is the Minister's advisor on policy issues, in addition to exercising the specific executive functions, which are ascribed to it by the Immigration Act. In order for the Board to be able to exercise its advisory responsibilities, it must be empowered both with information and access to information. For this reason, the Immigration Act has squarely placed on the shoulders of the Board, the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of the Immigration Act and its administration and advising me about the necessity for improvements, actions or remedial measures. Therefore, the Board will soon be conducting a review and analysis of the administrative implementation of the Immigration Act, which I hope will receive the full co-operation of all relevant officials.
Furthermore, I want Mr Lambinon to remain somehow involved as a resource person in the complex process of privatisation of the Government Printing Works to which he has provided a huge measure of leadership and which, without him, would have just never happened. This is another project which, like the HANIS project, I had instructed had to be completed before the end of this financial year, at the end of March of next year. I do not know whether I will be the Minister of Home Affairs after next year's elections and it is my habit to leave the house in order and complete what I have begun. I regret that neither the HANIS project nor the privatisation of the Government Printing Works has been completed but I sincerely hope that Mr Lambinon's experience, leadership and incredible drive may be retained and drawn from as one of the resources which may ensure that these two projects are completed within the deadline I have given.
Therefore, I am not relinquishing Mr Lambinon to pasture. The time of his retirement has not yet come. I regret to say that what he has ahead of him is still lots of hard work that I ask him to do, not for my sake, but for that of the State, the Republic and the country he loves. I salute this great patriot and this impeccable gentleman. It has been a pleasure and a privilege having him by my side. I thank him profusely for his commitment and I hope that what I have recognised in him will be more widely recognised and appreciated because he deserves it and has earned it. Thank you my friend, thank you my colleague. Thank you to all of you for having made this event possible. A special thank you to our Director-General who had the initiative of having this event. I know that he also misses Mr Lambinon as his Deputy Director-General. He was not very happy when I transferred Mr Lambinon to the Immigration Advisory Board because he feared that he could not do without his experience and support. However, our Director-General has proven that he has much greater resources than he gives himself credit for. He has managed to do without Mr Lambinon and I am confident that he will continue to do so well.
Therefore, I want also to thank him for his dedication and his hard work that also is not going unnoticed. I am confident that I will continue to have with him the same close relationship that I had with Mr Lambinon. We are all part of a team and we are working together well. With our joint efforts we will ensure that ours will be a winning team. I thank all of you for making ours a winning team and I thank all of you for your dedication. May God bless you all.
Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs
28 November 2003
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