Home affairs back to handling affairs

MBOMBELA -Home Affairs reopened its office this morning, after the Sheriff returned the furniture confiscated last week.

Its failure to pay a Chinese citizen the money owed to him resulted in its offices being closed on Friday after the Sheriff of the court confiscated some of its furniture.

The Sheriff, Leonard Averies, confirmed that he acted on a court judgement, but he would not elaborate on the reasons for it.

“The Department of Home Affairs owes a Chinese citizen money. The court ordered us to seize assets more or less to the value of what it owes,” he said.

An impeccable source confirmed that the Chinese man had sued the department over his alleged wrongful arrest, but home affairs’ officials failed to attend the proceedings and the court found in the man’s favour.

Acting provincial manager, Dorris Chiloane would not comment on why the assets were taken.

“The matter was referred to our legal services’ department. We are negotiating, and waiting for the Sheriff to return our assets before we can open to the public,” she said.

Lowvelder visited the offices at 11:00 on Friday where it was business as usual. An hour and a half later, furniture and computer equipment had been removed from the offices and people were turned away at the door. Staff stood around aimlessly. The office manager refused to speak to the newspaper.

Members of the public were not impressed. Gabrielle Borges had a crisis. “My wife gave birth here. We were planning on returning to Mozambique over the weekend, I just needed to pick up my child’s paperwork. Now we cannot leave the country with our own baby because we don’t have her papers.” he said.

Chiloane confirmed that the department is once again operational, stating, “The assets have been returned, and the public can be served.”

Upon the newspaper’s visit this morning, everything appeared to be in place at the office.