Home affairs is filling 724 posts to ease service woes - TimesLIVE

Recruitment at short-staffed home affairs offices and a digitalisation programme are part of the department’s programme to improve service delivery, says minister Leon Schreiber.

He was responding to a parliamentary question from EFF MP Paulnita Marais, who asked whether staff shortages were responsible for long queues, system outages and poor service delivery experienced at some home affairs offices in the country.

Marais also asked what measures the department had implemented to address the challenges.

In his response, Schreiber acknowledged staff shortages were placing additional pressure on operations at some offices.

“Staff shortages contribute to operational pressures at certain home affairs offices and may exacerbate queues and service delays. However, these challenges are not attributable to staffing alone as system outages and other operational factors also affect service delivery,” he said.

Schreiber said the department is hiring people to improve efficiency.

“As at September 30 2026, the department has prioritised 724 posts which are in various phases of filling, of which 78% of total vacancies are based in provinces, towards enhanced capacitation,” he said.

“The department’s digitalisation programme, Home Affairs@Home, is intended to augment existing staffing capacity by automating processes and expanding digital service channels, particularly in the context of staffing constraints arising largely from the fiscus’s limited capacity to fund additional posts.”

He said digital literacy training was being rolled out to equip employees with the skills needed to operate in an increasingly technology-driven service environment.