DA proposes three steps to fix consular services for South Africans living abroad
29 June 2022
Note to Editors: Pictures from the DA Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen's oversight visits to the South African Consulate and Regional Home Affairs Offices in London, United Kingdom are attached here and here.
Over the past two days I have concluded a successful oversight visit to the Department of Home Affairs office at the South African Consulate in London, accompanied by the DA’s Deputy Chief Whip, Siviwe Gwarube, and the DA’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Dion George, to determine how consular services can be improved for South Africans living abroad, affording every citizen their constitutional right to citizenship and service delivery. This included a fruitful meeting with the outgoing South African High Commissioner, Ms Nomatemba Tambo.
Of particular concern in London, is difficulties that South Africans living in the UK are experiencing in receiving passports, identity documents, retention of citizenship letters and in registering births, as well as long waiting times for all services.
Our oversight visit gave us valuable insight into the root causes of the backlogs and delays being experienced. Three main solutions became apparent.