OPINION - With reference to the article “Home Affairs office a nightmare”, (Daily News, January 8), two weeks ago I took my mom to Home Affairs in Umgeni Road to renew her passport.
I arrived there at about 10.30am and was dismayed to see a long snaky queue of more than 100 people.
I approached the official standing at the entrance and told him the reason I was there.
He asked how old my mom was and when I informed him that she was a senior citizen, to my pleasant surprise and joy he told my mom to stand at the front of the queue.
About half-an-hour later we were ushered into the building where a pleasant and courteous lady at the help desk recorded my mom's details, gave her a number and directed us to the section where her photograph was taken.
After having taken her photograph she went to the counter where her passport application was done and then sent to the payment cubicle where she paid for it.
The entire process took about three hours and we were out of the building by 2pm.
A week later I received an SMS informing me that my mom's passport was ready for collection.
I understand that Home Affairs prioritises, among other things, the elderly, people with physical disabilities and people with very young children or newborns.
Such people are usually taken to the front of the queue.
I would like to place on record my thanks and gratitude to all the staff at Home Affairs in Umgeni Road, who although working under trying conditions, are still friendly, pleasant and extremely helpful.