GEORGE NEWS - Persons visiting the local office of Home Affairs should expect to wait - and even not to be served at all. Get used to it, because there is no indication when, or if, this situation is going to improve.

Responding to yet more complaints about service, the department's Eden district manager, Mosiuoa Ngaka, told the George Herald that the office has been experiencing an unusual increase in client volumes since January.

Officials cannot handle the number of clients during hours (for clients from 08:00 till 15:30). 

The officials work from 07:30 till 16:00, so by 16:00 the last clients must be out of the office to ensure the department does not infringe on the officials' basic rights of employment. 

"We show clients away when we see that the number of people inside the office will not be served by 16:00."

That is why many people who arrive before 15:30 will find the doors closed. People queuing in front of the office from early morning to make sure that they do not have to return the following day, are a common sight these days.

George Herald sub-editor Liryke Ferreira said she had to turn around recently after arriving about half an hour before closing time. A Mossel Bay resident was there waiting in front of closed doors. 

"He and his wife had travelled to George for the second time to collect a document. He refused to accept that they would not let him in and was eventually allowed in. I had to turn around."

Ngaka responded, "A client is at liberty to stay, but when they are in the office and we cannot serve them, it becomes a problem. We also limit the number of clients for health and safety considerations."

He urged residents of Mossel Bay to rather use their local Home Affairs office. "If clients come all the way from there, it becomes a problem with the already high volumes we have."

Responding to complaints about unanswered phones, he said the personnel must give priority to serve the clients inside the building first, before attending to the phones.

"We have supervisors, but because of our volumes, they have to jump in assisting in serving clients. They are then not available for queries or to assist staff with complex transactions. 

"People must keep in mind that the process of applying for a document, like an ID card or passport, is time-consuming because there are several steps at different desks that the client has to complete."

There are plans for an additional official to be appointed, but the advertisement for the post still has to be approved by Ngaka's superiors. 

He did not want to commit to a date when an appointment will be made.

• A Facebooker struck it lucky when she had prompt service. She said that the offices were open till 17:00 on that day. Ngaka said this must have been on the voter registration weekend when the offices were open on Saturday and Sunday. 

"Clients who did not come for voter registration had to be served because we were open, but there were not a lot of people."

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