Durban - THE Public Servants’ Association (PSA) has called on the Department of Home Affairs to terminate its contract with a technology giant, saying the network and data capturing system constantly collapses, making it impossible for members of the public to get any services, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
The PSA has expressed fear for its members working at Home Affairs offices, who have to face the wrath of angry customers whenever the IT system collapses.
It said the national population register was unreliable, and live capture smart-card systems have been off-line since May 27 this year, resulting in people lining up for hours at the department’s offices without getting assistance.
The PSA’s Mlungisi Ndlovu said: “Employees of the department are blamed by members of the public who require these services, giving rise to concerns about employees’ safety as the public’s frustrations rise. The minister of Home Affairs previously committed that these disruptions would be addressed, and the public is now placing employees under pressure regarding matters beyond their control.”
Ndlovu said their members often had to watch helplessly as customers waited for hours without any help, which they desperately needed.
“It’s hurtful and saddening when you see learners, parents and elderly people standing in the line waiting to be served and not getting what they need because of a system that is constantly collapsing.”
Ndlovu said the department should consider installing another system, such as the one used by the SA Revenue Service, which appeared to be functioning optimally.
A Durban resident told of his four-day ordeal to get an ID card for his son. Dudley Garner from Westville said one of the frustrations was the lack of communication when things went wrong.
“The worst part is there is no communication. We don’t know if the problem is being attended to or how long it’s estimated to take to fix it.”
He said he understood staff were frustrated at not knowing what to do. “At least with load shedding you know when to expect the power to be back. In that department staff have no clue, because no one tells them anything.”
He added that after his experience at the department, it was evident why the country was not prospering.
The Home Affairs Department was contacted for comment on Wednesday. It had failed to respond by the time of publication.