Mohale’s Hoek, Dec. 30 — The District Administrator Ms. Moleboheng Lebele says an initiative of extended weekend shifts for identification documents applications is extremely benefiting applicants from various villages in the district.
The latter stated this in an interview with the Agency following an announcement from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police to introduce weekend shifts in an effort to reduce long queues and time spent by applicants to access services.
Ms. Lebele indicated that while they encountered a minor hiccup from the production site, the district has been granted permission to print ninety passports per day.
On the other hand, the District Senior Passport Officer Mrs. ‘Malerato Ramalaka says even though the queues are long, police officers are playing a major role in controlling them, adding that on Monday the office processed about 157 applications out of over 500 names which were on the list prepared by those who arrived earlier.
One applicant from Ketane who commended on condition of anonymity, indicated that he had to sleep over at his relative’s house, so that he gets to be nearer and wake up in the early hours of the morning.
Furthermore, a forty-five year old woman who is working in RSA echoed the same sentiments by noting she arrived at around four in the morning, only to find some Individuals who slept outside the premises of the offices, stating she needs a passport to return to work the second week of January.
The extended weekend shifts were introduced by the Ministry in an effort to solve a predicament of Basotho who waited in long queues to apply for identification documents.
Ends/MAMO
