‘Home Affairs must ban the use of cellphones by officials’
The Home Affairs portfolio committee has urged the department to consider a ban on the use of cellphones by front line staff during working hours.
The committee says it has received numerous complaints from members of the public about delays at home affairs offices.
The committee’s chairperson Hlomani Chauke says it's unacceptable for officials to keep members of the public waiting - while spending an excessive amount of time on their cellphones.
"It's really something that we condemned in the strongest terms itself, the fact that it's becoming a practice at home affairs that officials when they have to provide service to members of the public they are busy on their phones.
"There is a video that is trending currently on social media of an official, not only one but two officials of home affairs, who in front of them there are members of the public who expect services and they are busy with their cellphones without really attending to members of the public. This has becoming a trend and we are condemning it.”
Chauke says a policy must be drafted to ban the use of cellphones.
"A guiding framework on the use of cellphones at front desks must be drafted and implemented across the country to ensure standardisation. The framework must also include guidelines for how officials can be contacted in case of family emergencies.”
The committee will invite the Minister of Home Affairs Siyabonga Cwele to give an update on the measures put in place.
"When parliament resumes we are going to call on the minister of home affairs, we want to hear what measures is he going to take, it's embarrassing for government officials, in fact, to be doing such things."