Department of Home Affairs Clears 247,500 ID Backlog, SA Has Questions

• The Department of Home Affairs has made strides in clearing the ID backlog it has been struggling with
• Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that more than 247,000 ID applications have been cleared since he took over
• South Africans questioned the minister about other problems the department is facing and demanded answers

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State of the Nation Address, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG—The Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, celebrated his department's efforts to clear the backlog he found when he was appointed.

Home Affairs tackles backlog

@Leon_Schreib announced on his X account. He said the Home Affairs team cleared a backlog of ID applications that started at 247,500 and has accumulated since last year. The department, he said, adopted a plan to eradicate the backlog, and it succeeded in bringing it down to 0.

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"By working in a systematic and focused way, we are determined to reform Home Affairs into an efficient, world-class organisation that delivers dignity for all," he said.

View the tweet here:

South Africans not satisfied

Netizens, though, demanded to know what he was doing to tackle other issues in the department.

Tsapi Wa Mofokeng said:

"I'm really tired of the PR stunts. That's just work that Motswaledi had started, and you wanna take the glory for it. Do real work and stop with the funny business."

Mageba asked:

"What are you doing to end the evil corruption in your department?"

Lindi Langa asked:

"Minister, can you confirm what percentage of those IDs were issued to authentic South Africans, what percentage to permanent resident holders and what percentage to naturalisations?"

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Ntokozo Masuku said:

"The issues within the department go beyond just clearing numbers. It's about consistent, long-term efficiency and service delivery that truly addresses the needs of all citizens."

Fahrenheit asked:

"What's the point of clearing a major backlog is there is still maladministration within the system?"

SA praises Schreiber

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the country clapped for Schreiber following a viral clip.

The clip showed construction workers suddenly fleeing the scene, and many believed that the department was conducting an operation.

Source: Briefly News