I want to share a bad experience with my daughter’s ID and passport application at Krugersdorp’s Home Affairs.
We applied for her ID and passport on 28 June. We asked the clerk and he told us we needed to apply for the passport only once she received her ID. When we wanted to do the payment they told us the system was offline and we needed to come back the next day.
My wife went back the next day, received a queue number and waited three hours just to make the payment. At times there were no applicants at the payment window but she was not called. Only after she had complained twice they issued her with a new number and she paid five minutes later.
We found out afterwards that you can apply for a child’s ID (16 years ) and passport at the same time, and that the system was not offline – the cashier had already cashed up at 3.30pm as she does every day to go home at 4pm, and then tell the people they are offline.
Yesterday we applied for my daughter’s passport. We were there at 2.33pm there as per our ticket and we were helped at 3.30pm. This time I saw the security company coming to cash up at 3.25pm and leaving at 3.40pm. Four of us were waiting to pay, and at 3.50pm they told us we needed to come back the next day to pay.
When I asked to speak to the manager, they directed me to miss Vellah Maruamo who told me they were offline. She also said that all the staff leave at 4pm and they are not paid overtime. When I told her that it was the second time this had happened to us, she told me it was not her problem.
If they worked five minutes longer, until 3.35pm, we would have been helped. The security would have been done by 3.50pm and all the staff could have been out by 4pm.
If possible, can you please publish my letter so this lazy action of Home Affairs can be exposed?
