The ministry of home affairs has extended its passport office operating hours by an additional three hours in a bid to clear the backlog caused by the recent shortage of passport booklets.
Ministry of Home Affairs Communications Officer Mlandvo Dlamini said the ministry intensified its efforts to ensure that citizens receive their travel documents as quickly as possible.
Dlamini said passport offices now operate until 8:00pm from Monday to Friday, while officials also report for duty on Saturdays from 8:00am to 3:00pm.
He explained that the extended working hours were introduced specifically to reduce the number of pending applications and improve service delivery.
“We have extended our working hours so that we can deal with the backlog and ensure that citizens receive their passports as soon as possible,” said Dlamini.
He noted that passport applications currently take approximately 48 hours to process due to the high volume of outstanding requests that accumulated during the shortage period. However, he encouraged applicants with urgent or pending matters to visit home affairs offices and seek assistance from officials.
“If someone has a pending issue regarding their passport application, they should come to our offices and inquire. We are assisting applicants and where possible, helping them obtain their passports on the same day,” he said.
Dlamini assured the public that passports remain readily available and the ministry is fully committed to eliminating the backlog.
He further advised individuals who submitted passport applications during the shortage period to return to the offices where they originally lodged their applications so that processing can be completed.
Meanwhile, the ministry has raised concerns over the increasing use of passports as a form of identification during school sporting activities.
Dlamini called on school headteachers and school sports associations to stop requiring pupils to obtain passports solely for participation in sporting competitions.
He stressed that passports are intended primarily for international travel and should not be used as a substitute for other forms of identification.
“Passports are travel documents that are meant for citizens who are crossing borders. Schools and sports associations should explore alternative ways of identifying learners instead of making passports a requirement,” he said.
According to Dlamini, the ministry recently observed a growing number of learners visiting passport offices to apply for travel documents despite having no intention of travelling outside the country.
He revealed that more than 50 pupils were recently at home affairs offices seeking passports simply to participate in football competitions. Most of these learners were around 16 years old and did not possess national identity cards.
He noted that the ministry believes that reducing unnecessary passport applications would help ease pressure on the system and allow officials to focus on citizens who require the documents for legitimate travel purposes.
He then said as efforts to clear the backlog continue, home affairs remains optimistic that the extended operating hours and public cooperation will significantly improve passport processing times and restore normal service delivery across the country.
