Latest news with #HomeAffairs'
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Home Affairs launches international service centres
The new Home Affairs international service centres provide a range of services previously unavailable to South Africans abroad. Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber announced on Friday the launch of new service centres abroad that will drastically reduce waiting times for South Africans living overseas. The new centres cut passport processing times from up to 18 months to just five weeks. 'The rollout of these service centres is yet another step on our journey towards delivering Home Affairs @ home,' Schreiber said. 'Home Affairs is now closer than ever before for South Africans living abroad.' First centres open in Australia and New Zealand Schreiber launched the first two service centres in Australia this week, opening facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. A third Australian centre is scheduled to open in Perth by the end of September. Two additional centres began operations this week in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, according to the Department of Home Affairs. These join the existing operational service centre in London, UK. ALSO READ: If you are in South Africa illegally, self-deport now, warns Home Affairs Expansion plans across multiple continents The Department of Home Affairs will also open additional service centres in the United Arab Emirates and China over the coming months. France, Germany and the Netherlands will follow later this year, with North America targeted for the new year. The department said further announcements will follow when these service centres open their doors. Comprehensive services offered The new international service centres provide a range of critical services previously unavailable to South Africans abroad. They handle application intake and processing for both adult and minor passports, covering new applications and renewals. This eliminates the need for South Africans to travel or wait indefinitely for consular appointments. Birth registration applications will also be processed at these centres. A new online appointment booking system brings predictability and transparency to the process while still accommodating walk-in clients. Email support and SMS-based application tracking keep clients informed throughout the process. The centres operate Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm. Most significantly, services now have a five-week turnaround time compared to the current processing period of 12 to 18 months. ALSO READ: 'My life is stuck': Home Affairs' three-year ID delay leaves man unable to marry Digital upgrades in development The department said it was working to upgrade the eHomeAffairs live capture platform. This upgrade will enable the centres to offer Smart ID services, eliminating paper forms entirely. 'While the Department's ultimate aim is to deliver Home Affairs @ home by making our services available online all around the world, the opening of service centres around the world brings immediate relief to South African citizens living in other countries,' the department stated. An announcement will be made once the platform upgrade is complete. ALSO READ: Need an ID? Home Affairs extends office hours Delivering dignity to South Africans abroad Schreiber emphasised that the improvements extend beyond mere service delivery. 'These improvements are not just about better service, they are about delivering dignity to South Africans – wherever they live in the world,' he said. The minister highlighted the rapid progress. 'Home Affairs is now delivering for South Africans – including those living abroad – like never before,' Schreiber added. 'In just twelve months under the government of national unity, Home Affairs is making rapid and sustained progress to resolve long-standing challenges that affect South Africans everywhere.' READ NEXT: Businesses tap Home Affairs' visa reforms to recruit foreign talent and boost tourism
The South African
15-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
Home Affairs has great news for South Africans living in Australia
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has launched two new dedicated service centres in Sydney and Melbourne to assist South Africans living in Australia with Smart ID and passport applications. The move is part of the department's Home Affairs @ Home initiative, designed to reduce turnaround times for critical identity documents from over a year to just five weeks . Speaking about the expansion, Minister Leon Schreiber said the launch follows a successful trial in the United Kingdom and is aimed at eliminating long delays that have left many overseas South Africans frustrated. Sydney : 16 July 2025 at 10:00 (AEST) 📍 Level 6, 88 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 : 📍 Level 6, 88 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Melbourne: 18 July 2025 at 13:00 (AEST) 📍 Level 5, 332 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia is home to over 210 000 South African expats, making it the second-largest community outside of South Africa, after the United Kingdom. The department also confirmed further rollouts in New Zealand and the UAE, followed by France, Germany, and the Netherlands later in 2025, and North America in 2026. This is part of the department's broader push to phase out the green barcoded ID book and transition all citizens to the more secure Smart ID card by 2029. The expansion also aligns with Home Affairs' plan to enable Smart ID and passport services at over 100 bank branches by year-end – with a goal of reaching 1 000 branches by 2028. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
If you are in South Africa illegally, self-deport now, warns Home Affairs
'We want to send a strong message to all who are illegally residing and working in the country that we are coming for them' Operation New Broom in Roodepoort in Gauteng on 7 July 2025. Picture: Home Affairs/X Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has warned those in South Africa without proper documentation to self-deport before his department reaches them. On Friday, Schreiber led Operation New Broom to conduct its first immigration enforcement raids in Nelson Mandela Bay. The operation led to the arrest for deportation of 95 illegal immigrants. Numerous operations have already been conducted in Cape Town and Pretoria. ALSO READ: Tip-off leads police to at least 90 illegal foreigners in abandoned Houghton property The latest operation took place in the Gqeberha Central Business District, where, according to Schreiber, a dilapidated warehouse was found to be housing numerous illegal foreigners. A Chinese-owned business was also found to be in contravention of a range of immigration laws. The Department will be in court today to confirm the deportation orders. 'Operation New Broom demonstrates our commitment to work in a focused manner to restore the rule of law. 'Our message to people who are in our country illegally is clear: voluntarily self-deport now, before Home Affairs deports you and bans you from entering South Africa altogether,' warned the home affairs minister. Gauteng operation On Monday, 7 July, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza led Operation New Broom in Roodepoort in Gauteng. The operation followed a tip-off from a community member. ALSO READ: SA taxi driver nabbed attempting to smuggle 25 illegal foreigners, gets R375k fine 'We encourage citizens to continue reporting suspected illegal activities. It would have been difficult for anyone to suspect that unlawful activities were taking place here because the managers and workers live and sleep in the factory,' said Nzuza. 'We want to send a strong message to all who are illegally residing and working in the country that we are coming for them. We found 21 illegal foreign nationals from Malawi, China and Zimbabwe. One Malawian had a visitor's visa but was found working in contravention of the conditions of his visa. All the arrested people are being processed for deportation.' Home Affairs' Operation New Broom Home Affairs launched Operation New Broom in May, as part of the department's drive to intensify enforcement operations in urban hotspots. The operation seeks to arrest, convict and deport illegal immigrants occupying public spaces. ALSO READ: Home Affairs committee raises alarm over border authority underfunding The first operation took place in District 6 in Cape Town, where 25 suspects were arrested while occupying land meant for restitution to the victims of forced removals. The operation utilises biometric technology to verify the immigration status of suspects, thereby eliminating the risk of fraudulent documents and strengthening legal cases. 'The benefits of our commitment to digital transformation are being felt across all areas of Home Affairs' mandate, including through the strides made by the Border Management Authority at the borders and by Home Affairs inland,' said the minister. 'As with everything else we do, Operation New Broom is guided by our commitment to the rule of law. It is this commitment that both motivates us to do more to combat illegality, and to uphold due process and legal compliance in the process.' READ NEXT: Schreiber explains persistent ICT failures plaguing home affairs offices
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Home Affairs ID delays leave man unable to marry
The man's married life is in limbo because Home Affairs has delayed his surname change application. A petrol station manager from the Eastern Cape has been left unable to marry after Home Affairs allegedly lost his birth certificate and failed to process his surname change application for three years. The delayed application has effectively put his life on hold. Loyiso Dayimani applied to change his surname from his mother's name to his father's surname in April 2022. He said he wanted to change to his late father's surname, Tilolopu, for cultural reasons. Despite having a reference number and repeatedly being told his case is being escalated, Home Affairs has allegedly informed him they cannot help because they have lost his birth certificate and can't confirm his birth record. Life on hold because of delayed Home Affairs ID application The bureaucratic failure has had devastating consequences for Dayimani's personal life. He cannot marry his partner under his paternal surname, and his children remain unable to change their surnames to match his. 'When I had to get married in 2023, November, I couldn't because the ID has not changed. I can't make my wife take my maternal surname. She has to take Tilolophu. My kids still use their mother's surname, everything is stuck,' Dayimani explained. The situation has created a cascade of complications in Dayimani's life. Dayimani has already paid lobola for his wife, but they cannot legally marry under his paternal surname. His children are also affected, as they continue to use their mother's surname while waiting for their father's documentation to be resolved. ALSO READ: Need an ID? Home Affairs extends office hours Cultural obligations Dayimani's desire to change his surname stems from deep cultural traditions and family responsibilities. Having grown up using his mother's surname, he now needs to adopt his father's name to fulfil his role as the eldest son in the family. 'As the eldest, I've had to change my surname to my father's name (Tilolopu) so I can perform that side of the family's traditions and ceremonies,' he said. The cultural significance extends beyond personal identity. As the eldest male in his family, Dayimani said he has specific responsibilities that require him to carry his father's name. 'I grew up in a Xhosa household and community. As a man in the family, I have many responsibilities. For example, when there is a death in the family, I'm the one who has to make preparations for the funeral in the cultural sense, but it's hard,' he explained. ALSO READ: Businesses tap Home Affairs' visa reforms to recruit foreign talent and boost tourism Home Affairs administrative nightmare Dayimani's ordeal began when he applied for the surname change at the Home Affairs Elliotdale branch in the Eastern Cape in April 2022. He provided all required documentation, including his mother's ID copy, his father's death certificate, and his aunt's ID copy. The documents were sent to Pretoria for processing. However, when he attempted to track his application's progress, he encountered a system that seemed designed to frustrate rather than assist. Regular calls to Home Affairs' hotline yielded the same response: 'call back next week'. 'My life is stuck, and it is being delayed. My children also can't change their surnames to mine. I have already paid lobola for my wife, but now we have to go sign and have a white wedding, but the whole thing is stuck, nothing is happening. 'We can't sign under my paternal surname at Home Affairs, so we're just stuck,' Dayimani expressed his frustration. The situation became even more absurd when Home Affairs claimed they had no record of his birth. This confused Dayimani, who pointed out that his mother is still alive and could verify his birth details from Tembisa hospital, where he was born. He noted that he also has an Identity document, so it was impossible for the department to have no record of his birth. ALSO READ: Here is what's causing delays at Home Affairs offices System failure Dayimani's case highlights broader systemic issues within Home Affairs. He cannot even apply for a smart ID card because his surname change application remains pending. The department's loss of his birth certificate has created a bureaucratic dead end that appears to have no solution. The green book system, which preceded the current ID system, has created additional complications. 'I only have the green ID book, they [Home Affairs] took my birth certificate when I applied for the green book in 2003,' Dayimani explained. Cultural perspectives Cultural expert Isaac Muthethwa provided context on the importance of names in African traditions, though he offered a different perspective on the significance of maternal versus paternal surnames in marriage customs. He acknowledged that traditions and customs can vary from one family to another. He said both maternal and paternal lineages play important roles in cultural ceremonies and family responsibilities. The expert emphasised that in African culture, both sides of the family contribute different elements to a person's identity and social obligations. 'Getting married is a form of prosperity in your life. This prosperity is from your mother's side, and protection usually comes from the father's side. So in my view, I think he can get married using his maternal surname,' Muthethwa stated. Documents needed for ID surname change application Home Affairs states that when getting married, both parties are required to furnish their IDs to the marriage officiator. While Dayimani has an ID book, he cannot, mainly due to personal and cultural reasons, get married under the Dayimani surname. According to Home Affairs' website, 'no major may assume another surname unless such change of surname has been approved by the Director-General of Home Affairs and has been published in the Government Gazette'. This excludes changing surnames due to marriage or reverting to one's maiden surname. The Citizen reached out to Home Affairs for comment on Dayimani's case but has not received a response despite multiple attempts over more than a month. The department's silence reflects a pattern of poor communication and accountability that has left Dayimani and potentially thousands of other South Africans in bureaucratic limbo. The case raises serious questions about Home Affairs' document management systems and their ability to handle surname changes, particularly those rooted in cultural traditions and family responsibilities. READ NEXT: Home affairs ID verification cost to increase by up to 6 500%
The Citizen
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Need an ID? Home Affairs extends office hours
Home Affairs extends operating hours to reduce school holiday congestion and help students with ID applications. The Department of Home Affairs has extended its weekday operating hours by two hours, starting on Monday, 7 July, and continuing until 21 July 2025. During this period, offices will close at 6pm instead of the usual 4pm to help accommodate increased demand over the school holidays. The department stated that the move is primarily designed to assist pupils who need to apply for or collect their identity documents while schools are closed. 'The department is extending operating hours to assist learners who wish to apply for and collect their IDs during school holidays,' it said in a statement. To further ease congestion, Home Affairs has introduced dedicated collection counters in larger offices that handle Smart ID cards and passport services, provided there is space to accommodate them. Booking system and walk-in options available Clients can make use of the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) available on the department's website to schedule visits for both applications and collections. However, the department emphasised that walk-ins are still welcome. 'Clients have an option to book application or collection appointments before visiting offices… [However] the department also allows clients who may not have an opportunity to book appointments to visit as walk-ins,' it said. ALSO READ: Here is what's causing delays at Home Affairs offices Minister urges citizens to collect documents Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber encouraged those who have been waiting to collect their documents to take advantage of the extended hours. 'I would like to encourage all clients who have applied for their identification documents and have been waiting for three weeks or more to seize this opportunity by visiting their Home Affairs office to collect these critical documents at their convenience,' said Schreiber. The department is urging citizens to make use of these services to avoid delays and ease pressure on the system during peak periods. NOW READ: Businesses tap Home Affairs' visa reforms to recruit foreign talent and boost tourism
