WATCH: “Horror affairs” set to be transformed to brighter affairs
"We are about to demonstrate to South Africans and the world that Home Affairs is at that top-level when we introduce the e-visa system which is world-class by any means that you can describe.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Head Office of Home Affairs in Tshwane on Friday.
The aim of his visit was to interact with Top Management, senior staff and to ensure that asylum seekers were treated properly in the country as it introduced new electronic systems for better user interactions between customers and home affairs.
His visit also formed part of a commitment he made in the 2018 State of the Nation Address to visit government departments and key state institutions to ensure alignment of the work of government as well as promoting good governance & professionalism in the public sector.
Ramaphosa said he visited home affairs first deliberately as it was a critical department playing an important role in the country.
He said Home Affairs served 57 million South Africans.
“This department is the one department in which in anybody’s lifetime, they have to deal with.
When their (sic) born, one has to interface with home affairs,and when you grow and reach sixteen, you will have to go get your ID.”
“Even those who get married need to interphase (sic) with home affairs.
WATCH:
Ramaphosa said home affairs had changed from the “horror affairs” as it was known to Home affairs, serving the affairs of our home (South Africa).
“Home affairs has really improved.”
The new e-systems at home affairs will allow customers to log into home affairs and apply for e-visas and attend to more queries electronically utilizing smartphones or the Internet.
The department was known of being slow in issuing IDs, asylum documents, passports and other documentation.
E visa is set to be introduced in November.
Ramaphosa said “a visitor to our country could now be sitting in their home, in Beijing, Kenya or Nigeria and simply fill in their personal information and attach relevant documents.
“The documents will be checked and be processed for approvals and only once the adjudication has happened, will the person receive their visa notice.
He said this would allow people to travel sufficiently without hassles.
“This will put South Africa on the top range of being a country that can attract tourists.”
“We are about to demonstrate to South Africans and the world that Home Affairs is at that top-level when we introduce the e-visa system which is world-class by any means that you can describe. But at the same time, the people of our country and the rest of the world will be expecting Home Affairs to continue to push the boundaries and push the limits and demonstrate that it can do even better than what we are doing now,” Ramaphosa said.
He said visa reform was where South Africa lacked, however now due to the improvements, the department and country was now on track.
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