Home Affairs extends operating hours for ID collection ahead of Voter Registration Weekend 

Home Affairs accelerates service delivery by extending operating hours for ID collection ahead of Voter Registration Weekend 
  
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will open its offices on Saturday 04 November 2023 and Saturday 11 November 2023 for five hours for citizens to collect their IDs and passports ahead of the 18-19 Voter Registration Weekend. 
  
Operating hours are from 08:00 to 13:00 on each day. 
  
The service to be rendered on 4 and 11 November 2023 is exclusively collection of smart ID cards and passports. 
  
To ease pressure on its clients, Home Affairs has introduced dedicated counters for collections in large offices that process Smart ID Cards and passports, where space allows. 
  
This will help in reducing queues. In addition, clients can now book collection appointments before visiting offices, using the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) which is available on the DHA Website – www.dha.gov.za through this link; https://services.dha.gov.za/#/authenticate/identity .The Department also allows clients who may not have an opportunity to book appointments to visit as walk-ins and will be assisted to collect their IDs and passports. 
  
ID services will also be available at all Home Affairs offices during the Voter Registration Weekend of 18 and 19 November 2023. In this regard, operating hours at Home Affairs offices will be aligned with those of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in order to assist voters who need to collect IDs they have applied for or to apply for Temporary Identification Certificates. With these documents, eligible voters will be able to register for the 2024 national and provincial elections. Temporary Identification Certificates are issued on the spot. 
  
We would like to urge all clients who have applied for their identification documents and have been waiting for three weeks or more, to seize this opportunity by visiting their Home Affairs office to collect these critical documents at their convenience, and on the Saturday s of 04 and 11 November 2023 or on the weekend of 18-19 November 2023. 
  
Media Enquiries: 
  
Siya Qoza, ‪ (Head of Communications in the Department of Home Affairs) 
Cell: 082 898 1657