The Democratic Alliance (DA) Abroad is taking the fight for a capable Home Affairs service at Diplomatic Missions, straight to Parliament. The lack of effective services for citizens living abroad has left many South Africans in dire situations, including the refusal of health care, travel restrictions and loss of business opportunities.
During an oversight inspection at the Diplomatic Mission in London, DA Member of Parliament Darren Bergman observed the challenges South Africans abroad face at diplomatic missions, first-hand.
It is for this reason, the DA in Parliament will pose a question to the Minister of International Relations & Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, in Parliament on 28 August 2019 on what her Department plans to do to fix diplomatic missions abroad to ensure that South Africans living overseas have access to health care and can travel home.
Support for this cause championed by the DA has received increasing waves of support, particularly through our petition for a capable Home Affairs. The petition is a commitment to South Africans that the DA will fight in Parliament for:
- A reduction in waiting times for civic documents such as passports, ID books and birth certificates, down from six months to two months;
- Ensuring that electronic services implemented in South Africa be implemented for use by citizens abroad as well;
- Making an online tracking service available so that those abroad can receive updates and check on the status of their applications; and,
- The provision of foreign missions with adequate resources to contact consular offices and ensure that inquiries are responded to in a timely manner.
To join us in this campaign for improved Home Affairs services, sign our petition here. With numerous signatures, we can place a motion of notice in parliament to present the petition and request a debate on the type and quality of services delivered at Diplomatic Missions.