Home Affairs clears 50% of decade-long backlog in 3 months
The Department of Home Affairs has had a major turn around in the last few months.
FILE: Department of Home Affairs. Picture: Sethembiso Zulu/Eyewitness News
Clarence Ford speaks with Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
In the last three months, the Department of Home Affairs has cleared 50% of its 306,000 visa backlog, as well as other permits.
This is in part due to the Department of Public Service and Administration approving overtime for Home Affairs staff.
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A dedicated team of 60 officials has been tackling the backlog in a separate auditorium.
“They are some of the most important people in South Africa. The work they do is directly enabling our economy.”
- Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs
“They are really demonstrating what Home Affairs is capable of.”
- Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs
Schreiber says this backlog has been building for more than 10 years.
He adds that this team have been eagerly working weekends and overtime to finally end the backlog.
Schreiber says support from the workstreams the President set up with Business Unity South Africa have also made a huge difference with supplying training and resources.
Moving forward, he says they need to transform Home Affairs into the digital age, as some of these paper applications are extremely difficult to trace.
“The real test will come with the systemic reforms that are required.”
- Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs
“If we can get Home Affairs working, we will restore the hope that South Africa itself can work.”
- Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.