Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has thanked the out-going Home Affairs Director-General Mkuseli Apleni for the good work he has done in the department.
Apleni has tendered his resignation effective end of July 2018 to pursue other career opportunities in the private sector.
Apleni was appointed Director-General for the Department of Home Affairs in April 2010.
Announcing the resignation of the Director-General, Gigaba said Apleni has served the public service with distinction, in various capacities.
“Mr Apleni was recruited into the Department of Home Affairs in 2009, to help improve financial management, a task he discharged impeccably. When he arrived, the department was achieving only 25% of its annual performance targets.
“Since then, the department is achieving 89% of the targets, which underscored a marked improvement on delivery of services to our people, as well as on the performance of the department as a whole,” Gigaba said.
He said as a result of his diligence, the department obtained its very first unqualified audit report in 2010/2011, which has been followed by the second obtained for the 2016/17 Financial Year.
“Coming as he did ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in SA, he ensured a competent team was in place to assist in fulfilling FIFA guarantees,” Gigaba said.
Apleni is said to join the Discovery Bank as one of its Executives.
With his team, Apleni accomplished so much, yet, with so little. Of the significant achievements in which he showed leadership, is the nationwide campaign to secure the National Population Register (NPR).
The campaign ensured those with a right to citizenship were registered, and it promoted early birth registration, within 30 days of birth.
Within months of the launch of the NPR Campaign, in 2010, over a million citizens without access to rights and services were registered.
By 2012, the live capture system had been conceptualised as part of the modernisation programme, and thus in 2013, the first new smart ID card was rolled-out, and on the 16th of May 2018, the 10 millionth smart ID card was issued.
Apleni thanked the department for the opportunity he was given since 2009.
“I really want to thank all South Africans who supported me, I was supported by everyone,” he said.
Apleni also thanked Home Affairs Minister for having confidence in him and for his guidance. – SAnews.gov.za
