Home Affairs silent on promised child passport

T WO years after
promising to roll out
a new passport for
South African minors that
would eliminate the need
for them to travel with an
unabridged birth certificate,
the Department of Home
Affairs has failed to deliver.
The passport, which
would feature the details
of both parents, was first
announced in February
2016, with a roll-out
promised within three to
12 months. The prototype
was to come into effect
from February 1, 2017.
However, there has been
no further word from the
DHA about a deadline
extension.
TNW followed up with
the Department of Home
Affairs for comment but the
department spokesperson
had not responded by time
of publication.
Beverley Schäfer,
standing committee
chairperson for Economic
Opportunities, Tourism
and Agriculture, said its
department had also not
heard anything further
about the introduction of
the new minor passports,
while the unabridged birth
certificate requirement
continued to hinder both
the travel and tourism
industries.
“It was also promised
that a presidential task
team would look into the
effects of the immigration
laws on the economy but
this initiative was also
just shelved and forgotten
about,” she said.
Recently reappointed
Minister of Tourism, Derek
Hanekom, said at the
recent Barsa Summit that
he had already met Home
Affairs Minister Malusi
Gigaba, and that the two
Ministers would tackle
challenges around the
immigration regulations
“with vigour”. The two have
frequently clashed on the
subject of the immigration
laws in the past.