A quarter of a million applications became “stuck” in a growing backlog. Picture: Gallo Images/Nicolene Olckers
Home Affairs has cleared the backlog of nearly 250 000 identity documents (IDs) in one month
The backlog of IDs started to accumulate in November 2023 following a change in IT service providers, which created a bottleneck in multiple areas in the production value chain, from the office of application and application authentication to printing and the final issuing of IDs.
The department said as a result, nearly a quarter of a million applications became “stuck” in a growing backlog.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the clearing of the backlog “serves as yet more tangible proof that longstanding challenges at the department can be resolved when it works in a systematic and focused manner.”
“This achievement, alongside our progress in reducing the visa backlog, reforming regulations to attract tourism, skills and investment, as well as the important initial steps we are taking towards digital transformation, should lead to growing confidence in our ability to drive the reforms required for Home Affairs to deliver dignity to all,” Schreiber said.
“The clearing of this specific backlog also signifies our commitment to turn Home Affairs into a powerful economic enabler, as the individuals affected by the backlog can now seek employment, open accounts, and gain access to social grants.”
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Schreiber said the department is also making progress in reducing the visa backlog and taking steps towards digital transformation.
“We still have much more to do. Our apex priority is the wholesale digital transformation of Home Affairs to create a new system where South Africans should be able to submit ID and other applications from the comfort of their own home through a digital platform, followed by the delivery of these documents to their doorstep.”
To further support communities, the Department of Home Affairs has also extended its office hours every Saturday until 12 October to enable clients to collect their IDs and other documents.
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