Record ID production fails to ease frustrations

THE Department of Home Affairs has reported a major turnaround in its national performance, producing 3.6 million identity documents in the 2024/25 financial year, nearly 1 million more than the previous year but this was not the reality when a local branch was visited this week.

- WENDY DONDOLO

Despite the departments' record-breaking achievements in visa turnaround times and smart ID production, many South Africans say their day-to-day experience at local branches tells a different story.

According to the report, critical skills visas processed on time jumped from 52% to 89%, business visas from 61% to 97%, and general work visas from 10% to 98%.

But the situation at the Home Affairs Cape Town branch Tuesday morning painted a different picture. Long queues, malfunctioning booking systems, and uncomfortable waiting conditions continue to define the experience for ordinary citizens.

One woman, Xolelwa Dlamini, who was with her daughter wearing a school uniform said she arrived early in the morning to apply for her daughter's ID, but that the line “moved very slow.”