Home affairs declares war on queues
Department rolling out new-age offices
The department of home affairs is rolling out modernised offices to address issues of long queues as it pushes to be able to issue identity documents in just a week. One such office was opened in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape recently.
The department said it has so far rolled out or improved existing offices to more than 150 new modernised offices across the country. Spokesperson Thabo Mokgola said: “These [modernised] offices have been identified as an integral part of the department’s war on queues campaign.”
Mokgola said although it took a maximum of 14 days to get a smart ID at these offices, it has on most cases “proven to be less in the majority of applications”. Mokgola said the modernised offices were equipped with “state-of-the-art technology, including live capture and biometric systems that have digitised home affairs in order to make our services efficient and seamless”.
“We have commenced with the process of automating and digitising additional services for our clients’ benefit, including birth, marriage and death registration, amendment of names and citizenship to enable quicker applications and shorter turnaround times.” However, when Sowetan visited the home affairs offices in Pretoria central on Sophie de Bryun Street recently, the department’s war against queues was seemingly still far from being won.
More than 150 people were queuing up outside under the hot sun in slow-moving queues. People start queueing up from 6am.
Mmule Mokaba from Soshanguve, who was a there to apply for her passport, was the last one on the queue around 11am. “I’m told at a certain time they cut the queues so I’m hoping to be assisted,” she said. Mokaba said her experience with home affairs was not good as the last time she was there they were told that the system was offline. Nkateko Ntshani from Tembisa, who came to apply for a smart ID, felt that the modernisation of home affairs offices should be complemented by more staff.
“The queue is not moving, they should consider getting more people to make sure that people are assisted quicker,” she said.
Home affairs offices in largely rural provinces including Limpopo and Mpumalanga were notorious for their slow and poor service.