Home Affairs proactively on the move

I WISH to take this opportunity to respond to a letter titled ‘Home Affairs run at snail’s pace’, which appeared in your newspaper dated 6 September.

We wish to apologise unreservedly to the client for the application she alleges to have lodged seven years ago.

It was precisely for this reason that in 2008 the Department of Home Affairs implemented a track and trace system that would allow both the office concerned and the client to keep track of an application.

In terms of the application lodged on 12 March, it has been resolved, the client was notified telephonically of this and has collected the correct birth certificate.

It was wrong and unprofessional of the supervisor to attempt to refund the client from her (supervisor’s) purse. This behaviour is considered more serious considering that it was exhibited by someone in a supervisory position. Disciplinary measures were instituted against the involved official.

The matter was brought to the attention of the Head of Office and Ms BG Mthembu attempted to intervene, but the client would have none of it. Understandably, the client was angry.

The Head of Office brought the matter to my attention and provided me with the client’s contact number. I tried to call the client several times and she did not pick up.

The office concerned continued to deal with the application concerned and the matter has been resolved and the client’s son’s surname has been changed.

We do appreciate that we offer an important and indispensable service to our clients. We also continue to provide customer care courses to our officials.

To that end, Home Affairs has implemented meaningful and positive changes.

These have seen turnaround times for identity documents and passports being reduced drastically, unabridged birth certificates being printed on the spot for those clients who meet all the requirements, a track and trace system being implemented, establishment of Home Affairs offices in hospitals’ maternity wards to assist parents in ensuring that births are registered within 30 days as required by law, and a host of other improvements.

Changing systems and processes is obviously much easier than changing cultures, but we are confident that over time, cases like that of the frustrated taxpayer will become a thing of the past.

We wish to reiterate to our clients that where services do not meet expectations, the supervisor or Head of Office should be approached for intervention. If this fails, my office should be approached.

SIKHOSIPHI DLAMINI

District Manager: Operations, Department of Home Affairs

uThungulu District