Question NW1627 to the Minister of Home Affairs

Reply:

1. No, the Department does not have memorandum of understanding with municipalities in place to assist with the loss of documentation in an event of shack fires. However National government, has a crucial role to play in conjunction with municipalities as a form of redress, whereby the affected settlement was declared a disaster area, to enable victims to access basic services from the municipalities with their enabling documents. When the fire disaster occurs, disaster management of the municipality concerned compiles a report with a name list of families that have been affected by shack fires and submits a disaster certificate through the Departments’ District Managers: Operations or Provincial Manager’s office. Subsequently the Department’s provinces draft submissions to the Accounting Officer (Director-General), to consider waiving of fees for reproduction and printing of temporary identification certificates or identity documents and birth certificates. Upon approval by the Accounting Officer, clients are immediately issued with temporary identity certificates and birth certificates on the spot. The turnaround times for issuance of Smart Identity Cards is within 13 working days.

2. In collaboration with District/Local municipalities, Councillor and CDWs an outreach programme is organised for such communities to lodge applications and in most instances, municipalities assist by arranging transport for the affected persons to be ferried to the nearest Departments front offices to apply for the services required. Once documents are issued, clients are brought back to the office to collect in the same arrangement.

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