While the updated 2024 Home Affairs operating hours are mainly to support students preparing for National Senior Certificate exams, the initiative will benefit all residents. Last week, Minister Leon Schreiber announced that 2024 Home Affairs operating hours would be revised, making provision for five extra hours on Saturdays, reports TimesLive.
Closely following the current school holidays (ending Tuesday 1 October 2024), National Senior Certificate exams for matric students will start on Monday 21 October 2024. To that end, Department of Home Affairs offices will be open on Saturdays from 08h00 to 13h00 to help matriculants get their ID documents. This equates to an additional five hours every week.
2024 HOME AFFAIRS OPERATING HOURS
It should be noted that the revised 2024 Home Affairs operating hours are not permanent. The extra hours on weekends only apply till Saturday 12 October 2024. Specifically, temporary identity certificates, ID collections and applications will be prioritised. “We encourage matriculants waiting for their IDs, to make their way to the nearest home affairs branch,” confirmed Minister Schreiber.
The Minister for Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, also welcomed the intervention saying: “This is an excellent example of how government departments can work together to prioritise the needs of our nation. Matriculants are at a crucial point in their academic journey and having valid identification for their exams is critical,” concluded Gwarube.
HOW TO APPLY ONLINE
Revised 2024 Home Affairs operating hours is only part of the process. Matriculants in urgent need of ID documents should first apply online at the Department of Home Affairs eHome:
- Register to create a Profile, save your details and Login.
- Once verified, navigate to Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS).
- Input your SA ID number, hit Next and follow the prompts to complete all the relevant forms.
- Click Authenticate when complete.
- Choose your Province and City using the menu, and the date range that suits to find the next available appointment slot.
- Select Schedule Appointment to choose your preferred DHA branch.
- Click the Agree and Confirm button once done.
- The DHA will SMS you all the details – date, time and reference number – to confirm your appointment. To get SMS updates, simply text ‘ID’ followed by your ID number to 32551. You will be charged R1 per SMS sent.
CLEARING THE BACKLOG
Better still, the department recently announced it had completely cleared a mounting backlog of ID applications, according to Business Tech. Minister Schreiber took to social media last week saying a successful change in IT service providers helped clear the backlog that started accumulating back in November 2023. In just one month, between August and September, more than 250 000 ID applications was processed.
Schreiber attributes the department’s success to enhanced operations and a clear vision of purpose. As of 21 September, “The number is now zero, with the backlog completely eradicated, residents can now gain access to critical government benefits like SASSA grants,” confirmed Schreiber. His goal is to fully transform Home Affairs into a digital-first department – much like interactions with the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE EFFORTS OF OUR NEW MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS?
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