The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to open online applications for IDs and passports with immediate effect.
A number of services are currently suspended at the DHA.
This comes after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) suspended the following services temporarily:
– Application for Smart IDs is not allowed except for matriculants.
– Application for passports is not allowed except for people who fall in the categories permitted to travel in the amended Disaster Management Act Regulations.
– The registration of marriages has been suspended.
‘Though we acknowledge that preventative measures have to be put in place to protect citizens and DHA staffers from contracting Covid-19, and that Home Affairs officials are currently buckling under pressure due to the high number of death certificates which it has had to issue – we strongly believe the suspension of critical Home Affairs services at this time will leave many South Africans in limbo,’ the DA said.
They said it is not acceptable to suspend services when Covid-19 numbers go up or lockdown levels are extended.
‘The Minister should instead prioritise stricter, enforceable measures to protect both the staff and the public, and implement creative solutions to prevent backlogs,’ the statement continued.
The DA condemned the minister for failing to put proper contingency plans in place to ensure the continued functioning of his department.
‘This failure could be costly if online services are not opened.’
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