Gigaba to tackle long queues at Home Affairs
Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, has directed his department to prepare a comprehensive report and strategy on managing long queues at home affairs offices across the country.
In a statement released on Tuesday (10 April), Gigaba said that he had been inundated with calls from members of the public regarding time spent at offices for documents like smart ID cards, passports and certificates.
“A comprehensive report and effective strategy on how to deal with this matter swiftly are a high priority as the department remains committed to delivering high quality services to citizens and other clients,” he said.
Gigaba further appealed members of the public to exercise patience, and that the matter was receiving undivided attention.
“The department has made major strides in improving service delivery and is resolved on optimising the limited resources at its disposal to ensure the public is served humanely, professionally and efficiently,” he said.
Open on Saturdays?
One of the methods to reduce wait times, which was previously mooted, included opening Home Affairs offices on Saturdays.
However, despite being received warmly by the public, the idea broke down after a number of trade unions complained that workers were not being paid for overtime.
Despite a settlement between Home Affairs and the unions being reached last year, home affairs offices are still closed on Saturdays ‘until further notice’, according to the department’s official website.
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