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System down…again!

'The system is down', are famous words officials at the Middelburg Department of Home Affairs are telling residents who stand in long queues in need of services.

June 19, 2018

Tobie van den Bergh 2 minutes read

Home Affaris extended their hours for a few days. PHOTO: Archive.

www.mobserver.co.za went to the department and found residents leaving the branch with dissatisfaction on their faces.

The system has been down for the past four weeks, leaving residents stranded and unable to collect or apply for documentation.

One resident was told he could not collect his Identification Document (ID) because the server “was not working”, yet again. When he asked if they could carry out the process manually, the answer was “no”. The gentleman said he needed his ID to apply for a passport which he needed urgently.

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Lizette van Zyl said it was her third visit to the department, and on every occasion, she was told the system was down. “If you look into the books you will see that I wrote a great review about the staff members and their brilliant service. The only thing holding them back is the system,” said the disappointed Ms van Zyl.

Other residents seeking assistance were advised to take the department’s telephone number and call to inquire if the technical problem had been fixed before coming back to the office. The crisis is only affecting the Middelburg office as other branches in the province are operating as usual.

An IT specialist tried to fix the server last week but failed.

Penny Vuma, the department’s office manager, said numerous technicians have been to inspect the system but all proved unfruitful. On Tuesday a district IT specialist was able to detect the problem. Ms Vuma said they have reported the matter to the Department of Home Affairs Head Office in Tshwane and they are waiting for them to order the required parts to fix the system.