Some Home Affairs mobile units not functioning in three provinces

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said three mobile units allocated to the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State were not fully operational due to mechanical problems.

Motsoaledi said the fleet belonged to the old fleet that was procured in the 2005/6 financial year.

“Some of the units were previously involved in accidents,” he said.

Motsoaledi was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Adrian Roos, who asked about the number of the department’s mobile units that were fully operational and also deployed on a day-to-day basis.

He said there were a total of 110 mobile units and 105 those were functional.

He said all the mobile units were deployed with a planned day-to-day schedule.

“This averages a total of 95% of the total units deployed on a day-to-day schedule to close the gaps where there is no Department of Home Affairs footprint and render services in remote rural areas.”

Motsoaledi also said 464 areas were visited by the mobile units between April and September 2022.

A further 46 areas were visited during the ministerial service delivery outreach programmes in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West to promote early birth registration and smart ID card products,” he said.

According to the minister, 111 916 smart ID applications were collected by the mobile units and 4 800 passport applications were allocated during the same period.

“A total number of 2 208 schools were visited by mobile units during the above period in different provinces,” Motsoaledi said.

Meanwhile, the department was saddled with a backlog of visa applications totalling 40 635, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.

Motsoaledi said the accumulation of visa applications was due to restriction of travel during Covid-19 pandemic.

“We did accumulate a lot of backlogs during the state of disaster as some services such as applications for permanent and temporary residence were closed due to the fact that international travel was suspended.

“In addition, in order to adhere to the Covid-19 regulations, we had to drastically reduce staff on duty to enable social distancing,” Motsoaledi said.

He said the backlogs were now standing at 40 365 since 2016.

The minister said his department has appointed 18 additional adjudicators who have since started work.

“They will spend the first 30 days in training and will start tackling the backlog on April 1, 2023. Managers from provinces have been mobilised to help with quality control,” he said.

Motsoaledi also said the department was currently reviewing the immigration permitting delegations as well as standard operating procedures.

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