Department of Home Affairs
Reviews and Complaints

Good evening
Trust you are well.
I was not happy with the service I received from one of the staff member by the name of Thembisile. I have applied for a change of surname on the 23 January 2019 for my son & it was my fourth time doing follow up on the 17/02/2020. I haven't received any SMS since my last follow up until today as the manager promised.
Warm regards
Shirley

Today, on the 28 February 2020, I went to the Home affairs office at Nedbank, Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort. After liasing with the branch manager, Danel Steyn via email, the signs were already there that i was to be treated unfairly as a customer with bad service. On the email I confirmed with Danel that i would be a walk in client due to me not having a Nedbank account and would be coming today at 14:30 to renew my son's passport. She asked if I could come in between 8-9 and I told her that I would not be able to make it for that time as my son only comes from school at 13:00. She then replied and said that I could not come on a Friday, to which I responded that Friday was the only day early enough as they close at 15:30. This she only conceded to because I asked her if she was treating my fairly by saying that I had to come Monday - Thursday. She then responded that I would have to wait until they had time to assist me. On arrival and referral to her, I told Danel Steyn that I was applying for the renewal of my son's passort, as it expired in January 2020. I told her that I was a single parent and that my son's father was a drug addict and his whereabouts were unknown. I had made an affidavit saying this. She then insisted that his father should be present. I asked her where I should search to find him if his whereabouts were unknown and that the first passport I made without his father as well due to this reason and the affidavit was suffice. She then showed me the ID application clause which said that the guardian my be present. I then explained to her that I am not a guardian but my son's Mother and told her that our surnames were the same, I asked her for written proof because now she was saying that I must go to court for a letter or get one from the social worker. This was confusing to me. She then said that I must check the website, to which I responded that the website did not say this and that she must show me on the Home affairs website where this appears. After struggling to find substantiation for what she was saying, I asked for her managers telephone number or email address, which she refused to give. I then told her that this proved that she was not giving me correct information. She then called someone who was supposedly her superior and showed me their "internal memo", which i could not get a copy of. When I pointed out that the clause that she was showing me was for a Guardian again and i fell under the category of single parent, she became stroppy again. I am very unhappy with the rude and condescending manner in which Danel spoke to me in front of her staff and other clients. She would not provide me with proof of what she was claiming and left me walking out like a dog. I am very disappointed if this is how we are treated in the New South Africa from races who still treat us as if we are nothing. My resolution is that Danel Steyn should received a final written warning, because as I manager she was screaming at me and made me feel like an idiot. She has no people skills. Her attitude a d spoken words were "This is my space and I say what happens here" even though this was a public government office. She should be ashamed of her behaviour. I also have written proof of the email that she sent.

I applied for my unabridged birth certificate the 11 February 2019. I phoned non stop
every week, then every day and all I get from them that it is still being processed. I told them that I needed it before the 22 June 2019, because that is when I left for the Netherlands for work. I still do not have the Certificate. One of the ladies that took my call one day said that I must cancel my flight because i was not going to get it. I am in the Netherlands already a month now and I can finalize my work permits with out the certificate, they tell me that they going to send me back if I don't get it soon.

My Name is Angelique Terblanche If you can help me you can contact my Mother in South Africa for more information. Please if you can help I am desperately in need of that certificate . My Mothers details are Michelle Terblanche [protected] Email [protected]@just4usigns.co.za

Thank you

On Friday 02 Nov 2018 at 15:29 I got an email from Home Affairs to say I have paid for a IDpassport. I did not apply for one because I already have one. Tried calling on Friday but no success. I have attached the email from Home Affairs.

EHOMEAFFAIRS PAYMENT STATUS UPDATE
Thank you for making a payment for your application. Payment details below are:
• Reference: ECH-00008UUG-33A02F-J
• Status Date: 2018/11/02
• Payment Status: Complete - Success
• Payment Amount: 540

I already paid and got my passport on the 14/09/2017
• Reference: ECH-000098KW-E5A33A-4
• Status Date: 2017/09/07

I have deleted my ID number on one email and partly on the other email.

We applied for my daughters unabridged birth certificate in October 2015, every time I phone to follow-up I’m told that they are waiting for the archives department (which is supposed to take 5-10 working days) to give feedback.
Case Number – [protected]
I have phoned on the following dates your call center in which they have said to escalate the matter on the following dates:
04/03/2015 11:14 am
17/03/2015 15:10 pm
14/04/2015 12/06 pm
07/05/2015 13:25 pm - I have also spoken to a call center supervisor, by the name Nveli, who said he will escalate and get them to contact me within 72 hours.
Is there anyone accept your call center who can assist and find out what is going on, the Centurion branch does not answer the [protected] number, and going to the offices does not help as you stand in a queue for the entire day and then the gates get locked at 4 not even reaching the front to be able to enter the premises.

We were told that this process takes 6 – 8 weeks to be completed it has been 26 weeks already and still have not received the unabridged certificate or any clarity of what the problem is?

Good day can you please assist me urgently i have been to you Offices in Akasia every week for almost two months now for them to change my Maritial status on there system so i can get my new marriage certificate and apply for my new id but every week is the same story nothing has been changed why is it taking so long just to change something on a computer this is causing a lot of problems for me because i am on my husbands medical aid and are expecting our baby but everybody wants a marriage certificate and id and i don't get any service from home affairs.

I was told by the Department of International Relations and Cooperations to get a Letter of Impediment for the Home Affairs in Kokstad, and said that all home affairs issues this letter, but when i got there, no one knows what is a Letter of Impediment, i then phoned Pretoria to speak these people working at home affairs, they still dont understand! How can these people still work there? I then went back at 2:30 pm, waited there for like 10 minutes, and was told that that lady is off... i mean, its only 2:30pm, these useless black people, they always drag their feets! take more then twice the actual time to finish one thing.! These people need to be educated and know what is a No impediment, and not just sit there with heater next to them, cannot help us while taking the salary !

Hi there,
I applied for a permit renewal on 1-Nov-2011 at the Germiston HOme affairs. My permit was expiring on 31 - Dec - 2011. It took 7 months for the home affairs to give me a result and it was rejected stating that my application did not meet the requirements. I am married to a SA citizen and hence some requirements do not apply to my application. This information was included in my application. I submitted a appeal in June 2012 again at the Germiston Home Affairs but i havent heard anything yet from the dept of home affairs abt progress. Please help.

I have handed in my application for my passport, temporary ID and ID book. I have contacted your customer service to find out how far my application is. Whether I can come collect my Passport and ID in the next few days, but all they told me is that there are no applications on their system for me and that I have to contact the Regional Office in Pretoria, which I did. They also confirmed that there is no application of any kind on my Name on their system. I have the receipts of paying R400.00 for my Passport and another R120.00 for my ID Document. The regional office suggested that I should call the Centurion Office where I applied for everything. The offices moved a long time ago, and still dont have any new contact numbers where I couldve at least found out where my applications were. The Regional Office also suggested after I called them to say that the number they gave me for the Centurion Office was not correct any more as I was greeted by a lady from an Engineering Company or so, that I should go to the Centurion Office in person. How am I supposed to get there if I dont live in Pretoria? And then stand in line for a few hours again just because THEY lost my application.

I got married at the department of Home affairs Regional office here in P.E

& on 21-12-2009 we submitted an application form for Accompany Spouse permit with all our documents at the Regional office & was given a date 01-03-2010 for an interview.

Our file number was quoted on the Acknowledgement Receipt as (PE.1636/2009/TRP).We did go for the interview on that stipulated date & we were then told that someone will be visiting our home just to do a routine check up & nobody ever did come to our house to visit. My husband was told to produce the acknowledgment receipt as proof that he is married to a S.A Citizen if anyone should need a permit from him starting that day onwards which he did. So my husband stopped going to the refugee’s office to renew his permit every month because he always kept the proof wherever he went.

We kept visiting the home affairs department 2010 regularly to check on our application progress & each time we went we had to queue long queues only to be told that our application is still pending.

This carried on for almost 3-4 months & on the 27-05-2010 I gave birth to our first born & Beginning of July when my daughter was 1 month old we visited the home affairs department again & was still told that our application was pending & this time we demanded to speak to the head of the department who told us that our file was missing & requested us to re- submit a new application, with all the other documents This time she said we should include our daughter’s birth certificate. We were very upset but also desperate because my husband wanted us to go visit his parents in Ghana to show them the baby, so we did just about everything they had asked us to do. January 2011 my husband got tired of dealing with the people in P.E because they kept telling us that the hold up was from Head quarters in Pretoria, so he phoned Pretoria & was again told to fax all the documents that he had to the head quarters which he did & at this time we were given case no. ([protected]) Reference no. ([protected]) for follow up. We have been phoning & phoning & every time we are told to call again after 2 weeks…No one can ever tell us why this permit not be processed, no reasons whatsoever! Why are they doing this to us, we would at least be happy, even if his application was to be rejected, at least they would provide us with reasons why it was rejected so we could also know & do something about whatever the problem is.

My husband is a qualified computer technician who wants to provide for his family, he can’t do so because by law he is an illegal immigrant in this country & cannot not be employed by any company.

We have done everything by the book, but we do not understand why he can’t get his permit. Our daughter will be turning 1yr on 27-05-2011 & I worry everyday that one day he will be told to pack his bags & go home or be arrested for not having a valid permit.

We can understand that there are a lot of applications that the department deals with everyday, but surely a permit application cannot take this long, there must be something wrong somewhere.

Please help us as we had gone through all the channels & still are not being assisted..My email : [protected]@glendoresand.co.za

my husband and our two children wanted to renew our permits so we pllied at the nearest home affairs, that is, George.the date of submission was 26 November 2010.after several follow ups we were told to reapply in March 2011 and we did that twice. ny husband got an sms on the 6th of April saying that our permits have been finalised and amazingly our renewal was rejected, the reason being that we applied after our permits had expired. our permits were expiring 31 Dec 2010 and we renewe 26 Nov 2010 almost a month before they expired so what are we supposed to do. my husband is a qualified electrician and in the last 3 years we have spent close to 15 000 rands at home affairs for permits. how long will this go on?people who were illegal were being sished out 4 year permits and us since we have been here we have never been illegal, have done everything by the book.please advise.

I finally understand why people go to Home Affairs and take hostages or commit suicide at their offices. I have an existing Passport that expires in Jan 2010, unfortunately you can't travel abroad with your passport for the last 6 months your passport is valid. I will be traveling to Zanzibar in Oct 09 so that meant I had to apply for a renewal. I went to the Home Affairs in Kempton Park in May 09 thinking that this should be more than enough time.

Well guess what it is now middle Sept and I still do not have my passport. I had to submit my photos and fingerprints twice now and was just informed now I have to submit it again. I have spoken to Head Office on numerous occasions and they inform me Kempton Park must re-capture the application. When I speak to Kempton Park they inform me that it is with Head Office.

I even gone as far as to ask to speak to a Supervisor at Head Office who took my phone number and told me she would come back to me in 2 days time. I tried to phone her after 3 days and her phone just rings. They even gave me her cell nr and that also just ring.

I am so disgusted by the lack of service I'm getting from the department of home affairs. In February 2009 I went to a Sasolburg branch to apply for a new ID to rectify the date of birth. In March I got a call from one of the staff members at the same branch saying I need to have my fingerprints done and they say I have done this in Feb when I first went in. Done. Waited a few months before I could check the status with the call centre. I spoke to a Shirley and Patience on 24th Aug and they both mentioned that they're received my application to change my surname! I was shocked, they gave me a case number to say that they'll pass a message to the head office to rectify this, they said I had to phone back after 2-3weeks to check, I did that but all they say is : 'your application is with the head office'. Spoke to Precious on 03 September. I spoke to Mandla today, gave him the case number and he put me on hold only to cut me off. I immediately dialled back and the same Mandla answered, this time he didn't put me on hold but he gave me the very same famous answer: 'your application is with the head office'. What am I supposed to do to get this rectified. I'm really sick of this!