28 Feb Home Affairs’ “Bomb” Squad

In 2024, Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber led Home Affairs to clear a backlog of more than 306,000 visa applications, some of which dated back a decade. Officials worked long hours on weekends and holidays to demonstrate the Department is capable of delivering on its word. Hence, the name “bomb squad”.

Schreiber drew on the Department’s limited budget to enlist members of both the private and public sectors to clear the backlog. Phindiwe Mbhele, Director of Corporate Accounts at DHA, called the effort “nothing short of remarkable.”

By early December of last year, the backlog was 80% cleared, and the Department had run out of visa stickers (the stickers placed in an applicant’s passports containing information about the visa conditions) – a great problem to have. At the end of the year, the backlog had been cleared by 90%.

Screiber’s Strategy

The Minister copied Springboks rugby coach Rassie Erasmus’s “bomb squad strategy”. In this strategy, the team maximises their forward pack’s impact by switching them as the game nears the end. The players aren’t as fatigued as the other team is, which helps to wear down the opposition’s pack and gain penalties or turnovers. This leads to major scoring opportunities.

The Bomb Squad strategy is about maintaining high physicality and dominance throughout the game.

The Bomb Squad Strategy and the DHA

Just like the Springbok’s coach brought in new players, the Department enlisted technologies and personnel from the private and public sector to create a dedicated team – a bomb squad – to solve the visa backlog problem. They wanted to “finish strong”, which meant clearing an enormous backlog in a very short amount of time. It largely multiplied its processing capacity.

This means that new visa applications may be more likely to be approved, and fewer people will have to undergo the appeal process. The DHA has also opened new offices to improve application speed.

Looking Forward

The Department of Home Affairs has put together a five-year plan to digitise the department’s services by 2029, which they call Home Affairs @ Home. The platform will eliminate the need for in-person transactions and applications, vastly reducing the time people will need to wait in lengthy queues to apply for passports, IDs, and more.

“Our vision is to bring Home Affairs to you,” the Minister of Home Affairs said. “Over the next five years, all of the department’s services must become fully automated, digitised, and offered online at the fingertips of our clients, from the comfort of their own homes.”

This promising platform will mitigate fraud and demolish the long queues many South Africans must suffer to obtain marriage certificates, visas, IDs, passports, and more.

A Bomb Squad of Your Very Own

Let June Luna Immigration Attorneys assist you in all your civic and visa endeavours. Our team has years of experience submitting successful applications, disputing rejections, and assisting with civic services.

We’re your bomb squad, ready to tackle any challenge the Department may throw at you. Our team is here to help you with every immigration need, fighting on the frontlines to ensure your life immigration and applications are hassle-free. To learn more, contact us today.