‘Home affairs on wheels’ to get it done – Ramaphosa

Home Affairs is the face of government and must be guarded like all the services delivered by government every day, President Cyril Ramaphosa told residents of Mahwelereng in Mokopane.

Then he took a sideswipe at Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

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“I was baffled by the minister’s statement that we are bringing government from Johannesburg to the people.

“Don’t listen to him. Government is not in Johannesburg but in Pretoria. He doesn’t know where his government is,” said Ramaphosa in jest.

Speaking during the official handing over of a new home affairs building this week in Mokopane, in the Waterberg district of Limpopo, Ramaphosa warned against vandalising or burning down infrastructure.

After a walkabout at the building, he proceeded to Mahwelereng Stadium where he handed over some of the 100 mobile offices, or kiosks, to communities in need.

The remaining kiosks, he said, would be distributed to different areas, especially far-flung villages across the country.

The day’s theme, “home affairs on wheels”, simply means the department is taking services closer to the people, Ramaphosa said.

“This is a massive intervention by government. Home affairs takes care of our records.

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These kiosks will make it much easier to deliver much-needed services, such as applying for or collecting death certificates, birth certificates and identity documents.

“Home affairs on wheels shows we are improving on our aggressive programme of bringing services closer to the people.

“This is a cutting-edge innovation that will bring services faster to our people.

“We will be bringing in trucks to communities, especially in farflung villages,” Ramaphosa said.

“These kiosks should mean improved services in our communities. We are appealing to all officials of home affairs to work with speed every day.

“They must ensure our people do not wait long in queues. Those who demand money from the people to do their jobs must stop because there is no room for corruption in our government,” said the president.

But Khepekana Mpho Rakgolela of Nwamitwa, outside Tzaneen, said: “We question the timing of the gesture – that these services are brought to us just three weeks before the election.”