The Minister of Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor will, this week, on Friday, 14 March 2014 and 15 March 2014 spend two days in KwaZulu-Natal, where she will attend the graduation ceremony of the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate, visit the AB Xuma Home Affairs office dedicated to issuing only the Smart ID cards and Passports, as well as host an Imbizo at Mfolozi Municipality, under uThungulu District in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. 

Graduation Ceremony of the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate on Friday 14 March 2014 at the KZN Public Service Training Academy, 321 ZK Mathews Road, Glenwood, 08h00 – 11h00 

Minister Naledi Pandor will give a key-note address at the graduation ceremony of the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate, scheduled to take place at KZN Public Service Training Academy, 321 ZK Mathews Road, Glenwood in Durban. 

About 100 graduates will be awarded with National Certificates: Immigration Law Enforcement, following their completion of a fit-for-purpose qualification. 

The graduates will be officially appointed as the Department of Home Affairs Law Enforcement Officers/Peace Officers. 

In particular, the graduates will play a major role in fulfilling the Department of Home Affairs mandate of enforcing the immigration laws and securing various Ports-of-Entry throughout the country. 

In developing the qualification, the Department of Home Affairs’ Learning Academy consulted with other sister departments within the security cluster such as State Security Agency (SSA), South African police Services (SAPS), Department of Defence and other departments within the justice cluster. 

Media is invited as follows;

Event: Pass-out Parade and Graduation of Home Affairs Immigration     Inspectorate

Date: 14 March 2014 (Friday)

Venue: KZN Public Service Training Academy, 321 ZK Mathews Road, Glenwood

Time: 08h00 – 11h00

At 12h30 – 13h15 – Minister Pandor visits Home Affairs Office at AB Xuma Street in Durban 

The Home Affairs Office at AB Xuma Street in Durban (formerly Commercial Street) is currently the only office in South Africa dedicated to issuing of the Smart-ID-Cards and Passport. 

It is Minister Naledi Pandor’s intention to have all the Smart-ID-Card ready offices to focus only on issuing the Smart-ID-Cards and Passports.  Minister Naledi Pandor’s visit to this office will be to see for herself whether this office is coping, particularly, because of recent media reports alleging that people, including the elderly, were waiting for long periods of time in queues.    

Media is invited as follows:

Event:  Minister Pandor visit to AB Xuma Home Affairs Office

Time:  12h30 – 13h15

Date:  Friday, 14 March 2014 
 
 

Saturday, 15 March 2014 – Public Participation Programme (Imbizo) at Sokhulu Area, Mfolozi Municipality, under Uthungulu District in KwaZulu-Natal 

The Minister of Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor will, on Saturday, 15 March 2014, host a public participation programme (Imbizo) at Sokhulu Sports Ground, Mfolozi Local Municipality, under uThungulu District Municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Minister Pandor will be joined by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Senzo Mchunu, the Executive Mayor of UThungulu District Municipality, Mrs Thandeka Mchunu, the Mayor of Mfolozi Local Municipality, Mr Smangaliso Mgenge as well as by Councillors and senior managers of both the District and Local municipalities. 

Before the Imbizo, which starts at 11h00, Minister Pandor and the entourage will visit the Home Affairs office at Mtubatuba. 

The Mtubatuba office is one of the three Home Affairs offices that are taking Smart-ID-cards applications in KwaZulu-Natal and largely services people from the surrounding rural areas. 

Minister’s interest is to see that services offered by this office are same as any other offices in the country.  She will also help with the Smart-ID-cards application from a few elderly people, and some of the local public representatives. 
 

NB: Transport for Journalists interested in joining Minister Naledi Pandor’s entourage to both Mtubatuba Office and Imbizo at Mfolozi Municipality on Saturday, 15 March 2014 is available.  Please forward your contact details to Lunga Ngqengelele (Contact Details are listed below), before the end of business day (Wednesday, 12 March 2014), today. Seats are limited and will be allocated on first-come-first-served basis.

Issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs

Contact: Lunga Ngqengelele, Media Liaison Officer – Minister’s Office, 012 432 6646, 082 566 0446