Heated row as public turned away from Umgeni Home Affairs office

Durban - A HEATED argument broke out between angry applicants and security guards after they were turned away from Home Affairs offices in Umgeni Road at the weekend.

People applying for smart identification cards were told by staff to come to the branch on Saturday because of the long queues during the week.

A member of a Sherwood family who did not want to be named said they had visited the DHA on Sunday, December 1, but when they got inside they were told the place was full and they had to come back the following week. He said staff informed him that the office was open this past Saturday and Sunday for the festive season.

“We were given a date-stamped ticket with officials’ signatures on it. We waited in the queue thinking they were opening at 7.30am but eventually the crowd got agitated by 8.30am. People approached the security guard demanding answers. They wanted the manager’s contact number since the guard had the key to the place. The guard said he was there to move furniture,” he said.

“People were left frustrated. I am lucky that I have a car. Many people used public transport and came from various suburbs. It was a great inconvenience. When the people demanded answers from the guards a heated argument broke out. I was given the manager’s contact details to complain. It is unacceptable,” he said.

Home Affairs eThekwini Umgeni Road manager Mbongeni Magagula said the staff who stamped the tickets had not properly consulted with him whether the branch would be open on Saturday.

“Staff had worked the previous week and presumed we would be open on December 7. We are closing at 6pm this week (Monday to Friday) to compensate for weekend closures. We have apologised to those affected.”

All Home Affairs offices had generators and contingency plans to deal with Eskom’s load shedding, he said.

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