For years, getting a Smart ID or renewing a passport was synonymous with day-long queues, system outages, and endless frustration. But Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber is taking a victory lap.
If you’ve used the new bank branch system, how was your experience compared to a traditional Home Affairs office?
I went to ABSA Claremont very hopeful that it would work out. They were pleasant and on time. However, after four failed attempts to take my fingerprints I was told I must go to home affairs. Apparently this is a common problem with older people whose fingerprints are too weak to properly register on the machines the banks have. Very disappointing.
I saw on a news feed that my local Swellendam branch of Capitec was one of the branches offering the new ID service. On my way shopping I popped into the branch to see what the queues were like and if it was working or not. I asked at the manned ticket/queue machine. The young assistant lit up when I said what I was there for. He enthusiastically punched out a ticket, ushered me to a booth, captured my ID and other details and 10 minutes later I was walking out having completed the process, received a message from Capitec that my application was sent to home affairs and could collect my card when I was notified. The Capitec app notified me of various steps in the process and I was notified when I could collect the card. We’ll done Capitec and the previous dept of home despairs.
Fabulous, tried previously to get an appointment with DHA but all suitable locations were difficult for me. Nedbank doesn’t have any equipped branches closer than about 50km, so not the best way. Tried Capitec near me, I don’t bank with them, and was impressed with the speed of service. Opened an account with them in minutes and took my DHA details in even less, painless. Within the week I picked up my ne ID, couldn’t believe I was in South Africa. There is hope for us.
The Minister has good intentions and is the brightest spark at DoHA for decades. But the focus on this roll out has deflected from the train crash that is the entry to the ID system, the dreaded Green Book. The Minister can talk the digital talk all he likes, but the truth is his digital vision is still founded on 6am queues at provincial DOHA offices, ink finger prints, paper clips, stapled passport photo’s, carbon copy receipts, handwritten forms and then all that paperwork being sent to the vacuum that is Pretoria DoHA, where it is efficiently lost and/or ignored.
My wife needed to update her green ID book, bur was dreading a trip to the local Home Affairs office. So, when our local Capitec branch installed the ID facility, we went in to use it. Staff were very helpful and assisted where they could. Unfortunately, like other pensioners, the fingerprints became an issue. However, we managed without too much of a delay, and she now proudly has her new ID. Sadly, it seemed to trigger a link to SASSA, where the fingerprint issue became areal problem.
Slowly but steadily an improvement in services. Renewing passports outside SA still takes 6+ months. And why on earth do I have to proof my citizenship every time I renew my passport? And what if I fail to do so, will my citizenship be revoked and I am stateless? I really don’t get it, once a SA citizen, always a SA citizen, what am I missing?
I waited for six years before I could book online for an ID card as the facility was not available to SA citizens that were not born in SA despite the never-ending complaints against Home Affairs and a threat to take them to the CC for unjust discrimination. Once Schrieber was appointed as minister it took him less than 6 months to get it sorted out. After that I booked on line and it took me 5 minutes at Home Affairs for photo and finger prints and another 5 minutes to collect two weeks later. Forget about politics appoint people who have vision and can get the job done.
We went to Wynbeg HA office, as 2 over 65 people.
Over 65’s ar moved to the front of the queue from 8 to 10.
We got in by 08:00 and in a queue, out by 9:30 (no appointment)
New ID arrived in a week and Passport in 2 weeks.