Home Affairs fully geared up for festive season

Source: Pretoria Rekord, 07/12/2015

Home Affairs said unabridged birth certificates for minors under the
age of 18 were a legal requirement and it will assist people to get
them in time for their festive season travel plans.


The Department of Home Affairs has announced that it was fully
equipped and ready to deal with the anticipated increase in the number
of travellers going through the country`s ports of entry.


Home affairs director general Mkuseli Apleni said contingency plans
were in place to be effective over the festive season.


"We want to ensure the smooth facilitation of travellers and goods
over the festive season by deploying additional personnel and
resources at selected ports of entry which will operate on extended
hours from 10 December to 14 January," he said.


Apleni said the department will work with other departments such as
health, police, agriculture and SA revenue service to boost service
delivery. "For our part, we have asked our senior managers to
volunteer for deployment to busy entry points. This will ensure
effective implementation of operational plans and quick response time
to problems. We will also increase the number of work stations and
technician to ensure smooth processes and a well-oiled system."


Apleni said the requirement for unabridged birth certificates for
travelling minors was meant to protect children.


"Accordingly, for all children under the age of 18 years, including
unaccompanied, an unabridged birth certificate is still required.


This is in addition to passports and visas where applicable
and affidavits [from parents] consenting to travel."


Apleni said unaccompanied minors should also have the name, physical
address and ID/passport number of the person who will be receiving
them at their destination country.


He said minors who did not have the unabridged birth certificate,
could obtain a letter from home affairs. "Where there are problems,
people will be urged to go to their nearest office to receive
assistance so that officials may issue the certificates timeously.


For children under 18 who have passports, we have done a
pre-modification where our offices are able to issue the certificates
on the spot," said Apleni.


Apleni said from 3 December, the newly upgraded live capture system
would be able to provide full service. This after home affairs had to
withdraw certain services at some of its offices while it was
upgrading its system.


For a list of the ports of entry, visit www.dha.gov.za and for
assistance with birth certificates, call 072-634-0614 or 072-634-0589
or 073-567-6208 or 073-567-5968.