Former Chatsworth councillor and Member of Parliament, Brandon Pillay, overseeing the process
Grade 12 learners who would have had to wait in long queues to apply for their smart card identity documents have been saved this tedious journey by Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, Brandon Pillay, who has made the process a little easier for those living in Chatsworth.
Pillay conducted a smart ID card programme at various secondary schools within his constituency. He said this was in response to the discussions held with principals of specific schools during his oversight visit to schools in the south of Durban. “A dire need communicated by principals during my office’s oversight visit to schools was the issue of smart ID cards for learners and how, in order to apply, they had to take time off from school to visit the Department of Home Affairs. This was coupled with a full day’s leave being sought by learners’ parents in order to present themselves with their children at home affairs offices and sometimes after waiting for an entire day they returned home without completing their application,” he said. This issue was further exasperated by Covid-19 where principals would speak about how, in their opinion, the queues at home affairs lacked social distancing at times, which posed a danger to the learners. “Something had to be done urgently. This was when my office quickly took on the task of arranging to have the Department of Home Affairs arrange for mobile units to be sent out to selected schools in my constituency for learners to apply for their smart ID cards.”
Pillay engaged the Department of Home Affairs and facilitated with the schools to get a mobile unit to visit the schools instead of taking learners to their offices. The schools which formed part of Pillay’s constituency that benefitted from the smart ID card programme included Umbilo Secondary, Lamontville Secondary, Chatsworth Secondary and Southlands Secondary, while Protea Secondary will be visited in the coming weeks. Pillay roughly estimated that close to five hundred learners across the selected schools benefitted from the smart ID card programme initiated by his office. “Kudos to the staff of the Department of Home Affairs right from the director general, district management to the frontline service delivery officials who were amiable and available at all times, going beyond the call of duty and presenting themselves professionally with patience and humility,” said Pillay.
Principal of Southlands Secondary School, Mrs P Chetty, said in light of the present rotation in schools owing to Covid-19 regulations, this programme is highly admirable in that it prevented our learners from taking an entire day off from school to make their application for a smart ID card. “I wish to convey my gratitude and appreciation to Pillay and his office for keeping to their word, being hands on, approachable and availing themselves with great simplicity for this smart ID card programme for our learners.” Mr S Khanyile, principal of Lamontville Secondary, said it really touched him that the officials from the Department of Home Affairs continued to serve his learners well into the evening, due to the influx of learners who had queued to make their application. “It was more than five hours after their work shift, yet the officials continued assisting learners with great kindness, co-operation, compassion and smiles on their faces,” said Khanyile. Parents and the governing body at Umbilo Secondary School expressed jubilation for such a programme and personally thanked the MP for having brought such a service to their school, this sentiment was echoed by all parents at other schools that the mobile trucks went to.
