Home Affairs office hours extended
JOHANNESBURG – The spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs, Siya Qoza said that they hope the period of extended operating hours will enable people who have applied for smart ID cards but were unable to collect them because of time constraints to come and collect them.
The Department of Home Affairs has extended its operating hours to 7pm from 2 January 2020 to 10 January 2020 to meet the anticipated increase in demand for their services during the period before the schools reopen. The extension of operating hours excludes the weekend when the offices will be closed, said the spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs, Siya Qoza on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.
Qoza said at the beginning of each year, the Department of Home Affairs experiences increases in demand for enabling documents such as the issuance of smart ID cards and passports; birth and death certificates and for amendments and rectifications.
“The Department will ensure that everyone who is inside an office at the time of closing receives the required services. Office managers/supervisors are to apply their discretion to close the office 30 minutes prior to knock-off time, subject to the number of people being serviced. This is to allow officials to conclude all the necessary work before 7pm. The Department encourages people intending to visit our offices to do so as early as they can on their preferred day,” said Qoza.
Qoza added that they hope the period of extended operating hours will enable people who have applied for smart ID cards but were unable to collect them because of time constraints to come and collect them. The department is deeply concerned by the number of uncollected smart ID cards by people who have applied for them.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi congratulates parents of Christmas and New Year’s babies and urges them to register the births of the children at the Department of Home Affairs within 30 days. After registration, the children will have birth certificates, their first enabling documents.
“People who do not have birth certificates usually have difficulties in acquiring other enabling documents and accessing some government services in the future,” concluded Qoza.
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