I recently spent seven hours in a queue at Alberton Home Affairs to apply for my passport and ID card, just to be sent away and told to come again.
I have gone back several times to collect my documents and haven’t even made it to the door before being sent away again.
The one day I called over 30 times and most of those times the calls were not answered and the once or twice they were, they instantly hung up after picking up.
Extremely bad service like this seems to now be the norm in South Africa and considering I just wanted to make a pick up, it should be something that takes two minutes.
I saw women with babies and children waiting for hours in the sun. They move women and children to the front of the queue only when they get nearer to the door. When you finally get inside the counters are only manned by one person. Staff wander about aimlessly and the systems shut down while they are dealing with you.
Surely they can at least see to the people who were already in the queue.
There is also an obnoxious guy who ‘mans’ the door who treats people like dirt. I found out he has to answer your questions and his comment when asked anything is ‘no comment’ and he laughs while saying it. Apparently a supervisor is supposed to come out and stop people from queuing at a certain time, but I have seen none of that.
After several attempts, I finally got inside. There are 21 counters and only three and a half people working them (the half being a guy at collections that keeps disappearing).
I pray I never have to go there again!
Di Simpson-Rockhill
The RECORD has received many similar complaints and even more serious complaints about home affairs. We have not been able to reach anyone for comment but will continue to seek answers, including to why the national flags are hoisted upside down on their offices.
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