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Home Affairs is completely unprepared for the law that comes into effect 1 June that all minors travelling internationally will not be allowed to travel without an unabridged birth certificate. This News24 user applied for an unabridged birth certificate 2 April, the Home affairs website promises that the application process will take 8 weeks maximum, this was also the promise made at the Sasolburg Home Affairs office, that the application will take 8 weeks. When I phoned the Home Affairs call centre this morning the call centre agent informed me that my birth certificate was not ready. I pointed out that the law forcing me to use this document comes into effect 1 June, 3 days from now, no response. I pointed out that I applied on the 2 April, doing my part as a good citizen to keep within governments requirements, allowing the 8 weeks processing time. The call centre agent informed me that Head Office only received my application 13 April and therefore Head Office is completely in the clear in keeping within the promised deadline. Unbelievable! Therefore it does not matter when I made the application, as long as head office keeps within 8 weeks to process after the application is received at head office then they are doing excellent. If the application takes 5 years to reach head office, but they then process it in 8 weeks, it is still really great service according to them.
Now, I need to go back to the Sasoburg branch, obtain two officially stamped forms DHA24 and DHA288, scan my original application, ask the Sasolburg branch to update my details on function 650 (birth records track and trace) or alternatively I can spend between R1500.00 to R3000.00 on a private agency and hope that they can help me to obtain the dreaded birth certificate.
How can government make a law not allowing you to take your own child out of the country (which incidentally is not a bad idea to prevent kidnapping and human trafficking), but not have the systems and processes in place to issue the certificates within the time period promised? The only thing that will happen now is that the human trafficers will find another way to move people out of the country and the only people who will be affected by this law is law-abiding, tax paying normal citizens trying to make South Africa work, wanting to stay here and keep to the rules. Will government refund my international travel tickets? Since they promised to issue my birth certificate within 6-8 weeks, I allowed 8 weeks by applying as soon as possible for the birth certificate....now they just pull up their shoulders and do not take accountability for their mistake in taking more than 8 weeks after application. Sorry, it is your problem not ours, you go and sort it out. Go and scan and fax documents, go and inform our branch to track your application, make sure you write everything down neatly so that you do not miss anything, since it is not possible for head office to track an application...really why should we care?
