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National lockdown: Marriage certificates will not be issued, home affairs on skeleton staff

If you are thinking of getting married during the 21-day lockdown, think again.

During the lockdown, which is set to begin on Thursday, no marriage certificates - new or old - would be issued, according to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

He was speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on Wednesday to clarify how the lockdown will be implemented.

He said those wanting to wed would have to wait until the lockdown was over.

"Maybe the 21 days will also give you time to think whether you want to get married or not," Motsoaledi joked.

Skeleton staff

Motsoaledi said Home Affairs would be working on a skeleton staff during this period to issue only three documents: temporary IDs for those who lost theirs and need to make an essential transaction, replacement birth certificates for children who need an essential service like Sassa grants and death certificates.

No new documentation, such as new IDs, will be issued.

"We are issuing them because it's safe to do so," Motsoaledi said.

"Because they are repeats, we can easily check them against Home Affairs' national identification system [HANIS] or the national population register.

"Anybody who is applying for an ID or birth certificate afresh, because they are not on HANIS, or the national population register, we won't be able to serve them until the 21 days are over."

Passports would also not be issued "because there's no movement of people anywhere", Motsoaledi said.

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