Home affairs resumes more services under level 1: Four key takeouts from Aaron Motsoaledi briefing

The department of home affairs will on Thursday resume some of its services which were suspended under alert level 3 lockdown due to concerns about spreading Covid-19.

Minister Aaron Motsoaledi addressed a media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday.

This comes after president Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the country would move to level 1.

Under level 3, home affairs restricted its services to birth and death registrations.

Here are four important takeaways from the briefing:

Services reopened under level 1

The minister said some of the services that would be reinstituted, included the issuing of passports, smart IDs and solemnisation of marriages. He urged people to observe social distancing to avoid home affairs branches becoming super spreaders.

“The reissuing of smart IDs and identity documents, registration and solemnisation of marriages, amendments and rectifications for people who believe there's something wrong with their ID [will be reopened]. Then there's late registration of birth [for adults who never had birth certificates] and applications for and collections of passports.” 

Department to investigate visas and permits

Motsoaledi said the department had established a ministerial committee that will probe visas and permits issued since 2004.

He said there were concerns about people who were wrongfully issued permits. The committee would also identify loopholes in the system and suggest how they can be resolved.

Motsoaledi said officials who issued these permits illegally would be held accountable. The holders will forfeit them and their stay in SA be declared illegal.

“We are undertaking this review to ensure that each permit has been issued to a qualifying person, because our immigration laws have to be implemented in a manner that facilitates economic development and encourages social stability.”

Electoral Act amendment 

Motsoaledi said the department established a portfolio committee to advise it on the amendment of the Electoral Act.

This after a ConCourt ruling in June last year, which said the act was unconstitutional as it only allowed the election of MPs and provincial legislatures through political parties.

“Several meetings and briefings were held by the portfolio committee of home affairs regarding this issue. In the meeting, a programme was set on how to take forward this ConCourt ruling. I announced a team of experts that will advise the department as we work towards complying with the judgment.”

Atul Gupta will not get a passport

Home affairs will not issue a South African passport to Atul Gupta, said the minister. He said the businessman took the department to the high court in Pretoria to compel the department to issue him with a South African passport. 

“We have a senior counsel to defend us on this matter. We will defend ourselves,” said Motsoaledi.