CONFLICTING
information and a lack
of communication
by the Department of
Home Affairs on new
immigration regulations
has travel agents and
their clients bracing for
chaos as the deadline for
implementation is only days
away.
Sandri van Wyk,
marketing director of
Flight Specials Pretoria
Travel, applied for her
children’s unabridged birth
certificates in July last year.
When following up with the
department regarding the
delay, she was advised that
the certificates would be
issued“ for travel purposes
only” and would only be
valid for six months.
TNW contacted the
Department of Home
Affairs on several
occasions to get clarity
on what the difference
is between a temporary
‘travel’ certificate and
an official unabridged
birth certificate and why
there was a difference.
Unfortunately, we also
received conflicting
information. On two
occasions, officials
told us that unabridged
birth certificates issued
specifically for travel
purposes had indeed
limited validity and carried
a stamp with an expiry
date. Travellers could,
however, also apply for a
‘general’ unabridged birth
certificate with no expiry
date. But on another two
calls, officials told us there
were no expiry dates on
any of the birth certificates.
Mayihlome Tshwete,
spokesperson for Home
Affairs, could not clarify. He
told TNW: “I don’t ‘think’
there is an expiry date
on the birth certificate.”
When asked to elaborate
on this and other issues,
Mayihlome told us we were
“nitpicking” and “trying to
portray isolated incidents
as general truth”. He told
us he would get back to us
on the validity of the birth
certificates, but that he did
not have time to discuss
the matter any further,
after which he hung up the
phone. We didn’t hear back
from him by the time of
going to print.
The Department of Home
Affairs has published
an official guide on its
website: “New immigration
regulations: requirements
made easy!”, which
summarises the new
rules, however industry
authorities have advised
that it portrays conflicting
information and that a
new brochure clarifying
issues would be published
“in the next week or so”.
The brochure advises
that citizens applying for
unabridged certificates
contact the DHA’s Civic
Branch: “Contact details
are on our home page…
We care!” the brochure
says.
Meanwhile, industry
authorities are concerned
that chaos will ensue at
airports, come June 1, as
airline staff and customs
officials will not be given
accurate information.
Airline staff are
currently not well trained
to understand the new
regulations, says Thulani
Nzima, ceo of SA Tourism.
He was addressing the
press at Indaba 2015
this month. “For as long
as the details of how
this legislation is going
to be implemented are
not clear, it is a problem.
The airlines, which are
the first point of contact
for the traveller, are not
well-trained to understand
exactly whether to accept
the travelling family into
the aircraft or not. They
might choose not to accept
the traveller at all when
faced with uncertainty.”
Airlines have warned
they will not be able
to be lenient when it
comes to the necessary
documentation, as the
regulations are imposed
by the government. In
terms of re-bookings or
cancellations of airline
tickets, airlines have
reported that normal ticket
rules would apply.
Travel insurance
companies have also
advised that clients will
not be covered by their
travel insurance if they fail
to obtain the necessary
travel documents in time
for their trip.
Although travel agents
foresee some confusion
and chaos on June 1, most
feel they are well prepared
to face the challenges the
new regulations will bring.
Most retail agencies have
tried to minimise the risk
of a passenger ‘not
knowing’, by providing
extensive information on
the new regulations. “It will
be the passengers who
book online who might get
stuck, again enhancing the
value of a travel agent,”
says Monica Horn,
product manager of Harvey
World Travel’s franchise
support team.
