SA 'runs out' of passports

[BTTB]

SA 'runs out' of passports (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1923649,00.html)


Johannesburg - The home affairs department "is experiencing the biggest crisis of its existence" and a national embargo has been placed on the issuing of "normal" passports as there are no new passports available for processing..........

OMG. What next?
This is an absolute disgrace.
One of my employees and her mother are going to England next month for a holiday with their family and the poor old mother hasn't got her Passport yet.
She wants to visit England before she is too old and it looks like it is turning into a mess.
Their tickets have been booked and paid for since last year already.

Typical.
Maybe the Government is trying to stem the brain drain?

[supersunbird]

Just so pathetic....

[AntiThesis]

O_o

And I was going to try get mine today

[ajak]

JA boet,do as i did,got my sa passaport(and some fake ones)he he he :D o and the best bet is to bribe someone at home affiars(thats mos how its done....OF HOE

[stix]

SA 'runs out' of passports (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1923649,00.html)
holiday with their family and the poor old mother hasn't got her Passport yet.
She wants to visit England before she is too old and it looks like it is turning into a mess.
Their tickets have been booked and paid for since last year already.

Typical.
Maybe the Government is trying to stem the brain drain?

Prehaps they should have organised them when they were booking the tickets ?



:D :D

[BTTB]

Prehaps they should have organised them when they were booking the tickets ?



:D :D
Too True!
Typical Capetonian. Leaves it to the last minute.

[bwana]

Prehaps they should have organised them when they were booking the tickets ?



:D :DYeah, but to be fair you shouldnt need to plan for the government running out of passports and UK deciding to ban temp passports because of their fraudulent use.

Still - a year ago? if you're going to procrastinate then you've got to make do with the cards your dealt.
JA boet,do as i did,got my sa passaport(and some fake ones)he he he :D o and the best bet is to bribe someone at home affiars(thats mos how its done....OF HOEGood planning - so - when you leaving? Soon?

[mancombseepgood]

The South African Survivor has something to do with this...:p

[willirob]

SOUTH Africans travelling on temporary passports will no longer be allowed into the UK. The new rule, issued by the UK Immigration Service, came into effect yesterday.
• Travellers who purchased their air ticket on or before April 19 will be able to travel on their temporary passport provided they arrive in the UK before June 1.
• Travellers who purchased their ticket between April 20 and May 9 and who will arrive in the UK before 10 May will also be able to travel on their temporary passport.
• A UK visa will be required for travellers who bought their ticket on and after April 19 and who travel between May 10 and 31 (arriving in the UK before June 1) on their temporary passport. The visa will not be endorsed in the passport itself, but on a Uniform Format Form.
Virgin Atlantic confirmed that carriers bringing passengers holding South African temporary passports to the UK that do not comply with the above will be liable for a charge of £2 000 (R21 200).

[zesto]

Only in AFRICA...:o Thats why you need to plan well in advance and expect the unexpected when it comes to our government!!! Or you could just have dual citizenship and use your other passport:D

[kaspaas]

It is a big money making scheme:

Sir, it is going to take many months to issue you with a proper passport. So you will need a temporary one as well.

Please pay R300 (or whatever) for the permanent one, and R250 (or whatever) for the temporary one. Please keep in mind that your temporary passport will expire soon - and you will need to renew it again at the prescribed rates.

[James]

I am so fsked!!! I am due to leave on the 2nd June for UK and my passport is in that queue!

[craigsa]

It happened because they gave them all away to the illegal's living here.

[bwana]

I am so fsked!!! I am due to leave on the 2nd June for UK and my passport is in that queue!Go and get travel insurance just in case you have to cancel - it would hopefully be covered.

[LethalChicken]

So it's a case of, "will the last person out, please switch off the lights"

[James]

Go and get travel insurance just in case you have to cancel - it would hopefully be covered.

Don't you get free insurance if you book on credit card?

[willirob]

errrr - not if you don't have a passport

[charl.voster]

affirmative action rocks!

[James]

It is craziest thing ever... stock runs low you have to re-order. For stock to actually run out, that is inexcusable.

[bwana]

Most - if not all - travel insurance I've taken out has coverage for trip cancellation and includes the non-issuance of travel visas/documentation.

EDIT - on the plus side - for those of us with passports I predict some really low fares in the near future due to cancellations. :D

[ettubrute]

Hey bwana, good thinking! :D Will join the last-minute queues... ;)

[ajak]

I am so fsked!!! I am due to leave on the 2nd June for UK and my passport is in that queue!
F#ck that ,stow away.:D

[ant1b0dy]

It is craziest thing ever... stock runs low you have to re-order. For stock to actually run out, that is inexcusable.

Um, yes, but the day before the stocks ran out there was still stock available. Hellooooo....

;)

[ajax]

What about people that applied a month ago but still have not received theirs?

[James]

I wonder if you can sue home affairs for loss?

[kaspaas]

I wonder if you can sue home affairs for loss?

Most probably you can.

But with the congested court dates, you'll be lucky to get anything in the next decade.


Even worse: You're legal eagle will most probably absorb a substantial chunk of the damages over and above the cost award.

Most probably Not worth the while...

[ettubrute]

Can't you take them to the small claims court? :)

[nGAGEd55]

What about people that applied a month ago but still have not received theirs?
lol... I applied for mine just more than a year ago and still haven't recieved mine :mad:

[Battery]

aaaaaaaaah.... The advantages of being german.... mhmmmmmmmm.... Deutschland über alles :)... anyways. Yes it is terrible since I also need to travel to the UK within the next few months and my passport just expired.... Bs HAAX

[kilo39]

So it's a case of, "will the last person out, please switch off the lights" Yah - but in this case - nobodies leaving.

Me wonders where 60 000 passports a day! are going??!

Sibuyi was not able to say how many passports were being issued other than it was far less than the 60 000 the department of home affairs normally issued daily.

iol (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060428131853888C696115)

PS. This is actually a national emergency - will be a good one. Stay tuned.

[kaspaas]

Riddle solved:

Following the ban on temporary SA passports by the UK, the underground market required proper passports.

The underworld took steps to satisfy demand - leaving too few blank passports behind when they emptied Home Affairs super secure blank passport stores.

Please contact your nearest underworld contact if you need a passport in a rush.

[arni1954]

Anther step down the drain

[Highflyer_GP]

w00t! still got 6 years left on mine :cool:

[kilo39]

Please contact your nearest underworld contact if you need a passport in a rush. No joke.
lol... I applied for mine just more than a year ago and still haven't recieved mine

[bekdik]

So it's a case of, "will the last person out, please switch off the lights"

That won't be possible either - someone stole the light switch :rolleyes:

[kilo39]

That won't be possible either - someone stole the light switch Actually someone stole the power grid - so even if the switch was there it wouldn't work!

[bwana]

w00t! still got 6 years left on mine :cool:Just enough time for you to apply for a renewal. :eek:

EDIT
The Department of Home Affairs said on Friday it had never placed any embargo on the issuing of passports and had not run out of paper for passports.

...In addition, the Department would on Tuesday receive a consignment of 300 000 end papers for the printing of passports.

Another consignment of 600 000 would be delivered to the department in June. (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1924433,00.html)

[nGAGEd55]

Actually someone stole the power grid - so even if the switch was there it wouldn't work!
And then there's the damn essence of bolt in the generator :rolleyes:

[kaspaas]

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1924433,00.html

Have passports, can travel
29/04/2006 09:39 - (SA)



Johannesburg - The Department of Home Affairs said on Friday it had never placed any embargo on the issuing of passports and had not run out of paper for passports.

Click on the URL for the complete report.

[kaspaas]

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1924433,00.html

Have passports, can travel
29/04/2006 09:39 - (SA)



Johannesburg - The Department of Home Affairs said on Friday it had never placed any embargo on the issuing of passports and had not run out of paper for passports.

Click on the URL for the complete report.


I don't believe a word of this. Too many people are complaining about not receiving their passports in good time. The lack of sufficient paper etc would explain this all.

Or maybe, it is just total inefficiency.

[adsl3g]

Hmmmm... maybe I was lucky, applied for a passport end Feb - received a temp passport exactly a week later and the actual passport, to the date, 6 weeks later - as advertised on their site.