DA oversight reveals Home Affairs continue to fail most vulnerable in rural communities

29 March 2023

On 27 March 2023 we visited Amersfoort community, who had long outstanding issues of Late Registration of Birth (LRB). Some indicated that they submitted applications for birth certificates dating back to 2019 and are to date waiting for interview appointments with Home Affairs officials.

Majority of these community members are unemployed, and they are expected to pay R80,00 for each visit to the nearest Home Affairs office with some reliant on social relief grants. Others have been unable to get assistance from Home Affairs and consequently gave up on commuting to DHA offices.

Today we requested the department to bring one of the mobile units, highly applauded by the Minister and his team at every Portfolio Committee meeting, to assist with applications. To our dismay when the mobile unit arrived we were advised that they will only assist first time smart ID card applicants because they are free, for everyone who came for birth certificate and/or ID re-issue they were not going to be assisted as the payment devise is not working. Community members were again instructed to visit Volksrust office.

It is high time that the department provide ease of access to document new births which is a crucial component 3to accessing social relief grants among other services.

Our numerous attempts to get the department to furnish us with the schedule of mobile units have fallen on deaf ears.

We call on the department to ensure all mobile units are in good working order, are accessible and that the schedule be made available to ensure oversights.

Issued by Angel Khanyile, DA Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, 29 March 2023