GEORGE NEWS - Frequent system outages at the George branch of the Department of Home Affairs are causing backlogs in client service, frustrating hundreds of clients who have to queue for hours.

There are other frustrations, such as in the case of a local father who has been battling for two weeks to collect his son's ID after receiving an SMS that it was ready for collection.

However, when they got there, the officials told them the system was offline.

On one of their attempts, they arrived to find the office closed. On the door was a notice indicating early closure due to capacity constraints. "The date was just changed from a previous day when they had also been closed."

With each visit, the man's son had to be taken out of school. "This is unacceptable. As taxpayers, we demand that basic services like these are available during working hours," he said.

A neighbouring business owner in the building, Antoinette Roodt-Kirsten, says the office's location is not suitable for the volume of people it serves. "A Home Affairs office should be situated in a space where at least 50 people can queue safely, securely and under cover, without disrupting surrounding businesses or public walkways."

She says the queues regularly stretch along the pavement, covering a distance of about 50m. No refuse bins are provided, which leads to littering and unhygienic conditions.

"People are forced to stand in the open, with no shelter, seating or security. Little regard is shown for the dignity of their clients or for the businesses operating around them, whose entrances are frequently blocked," complained Roodt-Kirsten.

She says until the outdated systems are upgraded, the same problems will recur. "We respectfully ask that the relevant authorities urgently address these issues, either by improving infrastructure and systems or by relocating the office to a more appropriate site."

Litter is often left behind by Home Affairs clients. Photo supplied

Home Affairs' deputy director general of operations, Thulani Mavuso, said there was a significant surge in client volumes during the first week of February as a result of intermittent system outages between 19 and 24 January and 2 and 4 February. The office issued a public notice on 4 February to update the community on service expectations.

The staff worked beyond standard operating hours to ensure that all clients already inside the office were processed. Those individuals who could not be reached before the close of extended hours were prioritised for assistance the following day. 

"We acknowledge that the recent volumes pushed the building's physical capacity to its limits. We continuously review our queue management and upgrading of systems to ensure a safer and more comfortable environment for our clients. We sincerely regret the frustration caused by these technical disruptions and appreciate the public's patience as our team worked tirelessly to clear the backlog."

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