The joy of Department of Home Affairs

As- salaam all, 

If you ever need to change a name, make sure that you visit the Department of Home Affairs (DoH) website to check you have all the documents before you go to them. http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/amendments

 

It sounds easy enough to do and should be a very simple process. Unfortunately, this is not the case with adoptions. The process is very very long and most times I had to explain to the Home Affairs officer what needed to happen, and which forms were needed.

To start the process, make sure you have the following:

•   PATIENCE
•   BI – 193 Form
•   Name Change form
•   Adoption order – originals and certified copies.
•   Birth certificate – originals and certified copies
•   You and your spouse’s id originals and certified copies.
•    Proof of address

·      

       Both parents need to be at Home Affairs at the date of application (we found out the hard way. As I went to do the application and was sent away because Ahmed was not with me).

I would suggest try and go in the week and get the BI-193 and Name change form and complete it at home. This way when you get to the DoH you won’t need to complete the forms and able to go straight to the Births and Registrations queue.

As we are all aware that the wait at DoH is very long so be patient. I remember going on a Saturday morning, we got to the DoH at about 9 am. The DoH officer was not very friendly though, she took our forms and captured our fingerprints. Once that was done, I asked her to make me copies of the documents for my records. The look I got was like she could not understand what I had just asked her. I was told that she is unable to do so, so I did the next best thing, I took pics of all the documents and the proof of payment (June 2015).

We were told that we should do a follow up in 8 weeks, which I did and was told again to do another follow up in 8 weeks and another and another. By November 2015 we still had no confirmation on the unabridged birth certificate, I send another follow-up email only to be told that the registration process can take anything from 6 months to 1 year from date of application.

Yes, 6 months to a 1 year to register your son and receive an unabridged birth certificate. It may take longer than a year because it’s an adoption registration and a name change. The DoH system is unable to process the registration and the name change at the same time even though it is for the same person. In addition to this your DoH application is captured and then needs to be verified by the Department of Social Development (DSD) that you are indeed the legal guardians of the child. Once the verification process has happened then you will receive the unabridged birth certificate.

The two department systems do not talk to each other which means that DoH needs to send an email to the Department of Social Services to confirm your status. The turnaround time for an answer for this is 7 working days. 

Fast forward a year later and still nothing from anyone at the DoH, so I start sending out follow up email’s weekly to all the relevant parties. After about 3 weeks of doing this, I still have no answer.

I am completely frustrated and angry with this system, I can’t understand how it is possible that in today’s fast-paced world our government is unable to process a registration and a name change in an acceptable time – frame. I’ve probably heard every excuse and I am at my wit's end because while all of this is going on, I have not been paid my UIF. The Department of Labour will not process the claim until the registration has been completed.

18 months later still nothing, I decide I am going to write a letter to the Minister of Home Affairs, I included the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. I receive confirmation from the Deputy minister PA confirming the matter will be addressed. Two weeks later, we receive confirmation that we were able to collect the certificate for Ebrahim.

What was supposed to be the best day ever, did not turn out to be as the DoH did not capture my details correctly… My stubbornness kicks in, I was not leaving the Wynberg DoH without the birth certificate. Ebrahim and I sat and waited for them to correct the mistake and reprinted the birth certificate.

An hour later we receive Ebrahim’s Unabridged Birth Certificate, it had taken almost 2 years but Alhamdulilah it is done.

Finally, my UIF Claim will be paid… this brings about a new set of challenges with the Department of Labour.

As- salaam

Ayesha

(p.s. next week’s post Uthmaan’s registration was not the same and brought some new challenges and emotions).