Recently my sister and I went to the Home Affairs Department in Springs to apply for our new smart identity cards.
We arrived at 7.30am, opening time, had our ID documents scanned and were then given a number and sent to the queue for photographs.
With seven people ahead of us and the queue not moving I enquired at the counter what the problem was.
I was told the camera wasn’t working and they would have to call someone to come and fix it.
At no time did they tell all the people waiting that there was a problem and after another hour we were told to go home.
I phoned the next day and was told not to come back that week as the camera had gone to Pretoria for repair.
Later that month we arrived at Home Affairs at 7.20am, finding 22 people ahead of us but at 8.15am, the doors had still not opened for business so once again we left.
At no time did anybody inform us of the delay in opening and we were all just left waiting – my sister and I are well into our 70s and there were many other old, old people waiting patiently.
For a government department that is supposed to serve the people, Springs doesn’t have a very good reputation and it is time they improved their services once and for all.
Irate pensioner.
n No comment was received from Home Affairs at the time of going to press.
