People wait for hours at Department of Home Affairs in Secunda
Long queues at the Department of Home Affairs in Secunda is a common sight.
SECUNDA – Local residents are forced to visit other branches of the Department of Home Affairs if they want to apply for travel documents.
At the Secunda branch, residents have to wait in the queue for hours without the guarantee of being helped the same day.
“I had to return six times just to apply for my passport. Each time I had to stand in line for four hours and the last time for seven hours,” said a resident.
“I’ve sent e-mails to several managers at the Home Affairs to complain about the bad service and to ask for help with a problem that they were unable to solve. However, none of them replied or even acknowledged that they have received my e-mails.”
Residents complained on social media about the service at Secunda Home Affairs, however, many confirmed that the service at the Bethal branch is far better.
“I applied at Bethal and only waited in the queue for an hour, whereas at Secunda I queued for three hours,” said a resident.
“The staff at the Bethal branch are also friendlier and more helpful than the staff at the Secunda branch.”
Another resident applied for her children’s passports in November and told the official she must also apply for unabridged birth certificates.
“The man at Home Affairs neglected to inform me that I have to complete different forms for the unabridged birth certificates.
“I thought it was part of the same process despite me telling him that I need to apply for passports and unabridged birth certificates.
“Only when I returned to Home Affairs to collect the passports, did I realise there were no unabridged birth certificates attached.
“They simply said that I could apply and that it takes about eight weeks.
“I told them that I had applied in November upon applying for the passports. The staff simply said that they do not know and that I must re-apply.
“Surely home affairs staff should know that a child’s passport without an unabridged birth certificate is worthless because you can not travel with just a passport.
“After numerous phone calls I ended up with an employee from the Home Affairs head office in Pretoria. They managed to help me with the unabridged birth certificates just in time for our upcoming holiday.
“Next time I will rather go to Bethal or another Home Affairs office, but never Secunda again.”
Other residents waiting in the queue, travel from eMbalenhle or other surrounding towns and have to pay transport fees.
If they are not helped they have to return the following day.
“We have to take time off from work and we are paid hourly, so we lose money if we are not at work.”
The Echo sent an e-mail to the provincial manager of home affairs but did not receive a response at the time of going to print.
