Schreiber promises no more long queues, offline systems at Home Affairs as digital move beckons

CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that long queues, off-line systems, and paper-based applications at department offices would soon be a thing of the past.

Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally.

The minister said that embracing technological solutions was key to turning the department's fortunes around.

Minister Schreiber said that Home Affairs would soon introduce a paperless system similar to the online portal used by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the banks.

Schreiber said that the department would create a secure platform through the use of facial and fingerprint recognition tools.

"No more standing in queues, no more waiting months or years for an outcome of an application, no more being kept in the dark about the status of an application, and no more space for officials or syndicates to solicit bribes for a transaction to be processed."

Schreiber said he would not rest until belief was restored in South Africans that the department could work and thrive.