



As part of its modernisation programme, Department of Home Affairs has scheduled upgrades to its offices across the country to begin on 13 July.

The department's Director-General, Mkuseli Apleni says the upgrade will make a huge difference to the controversial issue of unabridged certificates that everyone has been complaining about.

He says with the upgrades, the last page of the child's passport will have the details of the parents, meaning that parents will no longer be required to travel with an unabridged birth certificate.

Read: Home Affairs set to undergo an upgrade in move to paperless system

When you apply for the passport of the child, the system will automatically go into the NPR and say these are the parents of the child and print them at the back of the passport. They will no longer need to carry a birth certificate. Mkuseli Apleni, DG of Home Affairs

Apleni says travellers into South Africa will unfortunately have to carry their children's birth certificates if the parents details are not printed on the child's passport.

He says they have made suggestions to the international body which manages the issues of travelling globally that children's passports should have details of the parents.

If this can be approved, it means it will now be applicable to the whole world. Mkuseli Apleni, DG of Home Affairs

To hear the rest of the interview with Mkuseli Apleni, listen below: