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Schreiber says home affairs has prioritised 724 posts to fill

Published

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told Parliament that staff shortages add pressure at some offices but do not alone cause long queues and delays. He said 78% of total vacancies are in the provinces.

Schreiber gave the answer in a written reply to EFF MP Paulnita Marais, who asked about long queues and system outages. He said the 724 posts are in various phases of filling, as at 30 September 2026.

The minister said staff shortages may worsen queues and delays at certain offices. He said system outages and other operational factors also affect service.

Schreiber said the department is hiring and rolling out its Home Affairs@Home digitalisation programme, along with digital literacy training. He said the programme aims to add to staff capacity by automating processes and expanding digital service channels.

Key facts

Who
Leon Schreiber (Minister of Home Affairs); Paulnita Marais (EFF MP who asked the parliamentary question); Department of Home Affairs (government department running the hiring and digitalisation programme)
What
In a parliamentary reply to EFF MP Paulnita Marais, Schreiber said staff shortages add pressure at some home affairs offices but are not the sole cause of queues and service delays, and that recruitment and the Home Affairs@Home digitalisation programme are under way. As at September 30 2026, 78% of total vacancies are in provinces.
When
3 November 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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