Tsakani – Various stakeholders graced the community members of Ward 79, Langaville Ext 8, with different service delivery programmes on August 28.
Ward Clr Njabulo Mbonani said the various departments came to render the services most needed by the community, saying Department of Home Affairs officials also helped the community members find solutions to their problems.
He said there are many health issues people must face head-on, so having the health department avail itself to the community will help them understand the complications they might face.
“Many people are unemployed and do not have money to travel to these different departments. Most people need to change from ID books to smart cards, some need to change errors on their birth certificates or IDs, some need to obtain IDs, and some have to change their marital status. The problems differ.
“Having all these departments in an accessible area for old and young people is a relief and a solution to many problems,” he said.
He said he is grateful to see the CPF, a forum that brings the police and community together, come out to the community to give them valuable information.
He added that he is happy to see the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on-site because many people face legal matters and often do not know where to seek help.
Nothando Mbatha, a court preparation officer at the Tsakane Magistrate’s Court, said they came on-site to share, advise, listen and explain to the community what the NPA does.
Seipati Mothoa explained what her job – maintenance investigator- entails, citing she has seen a major problem confronted by families so far – matters related to housing – mentioning that family members often fight over property inheritance.
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“There are steps families must follow to resolve such issues. One, the family must obtain a letter of authority from the court. From there, they’ll determine what should happen with the property.
“Upon application for the letter of authority, every individual’s ID is required, documents about the property and the relevant death certificates,” she said.
She highlighted that many people confront issues related to child maintenance, where one parent is not contributing to the wellness of the child.
She said people facing this problem do not know what steps to take to resolve the matter, highlighting that they should visit the court. They will be referred to the park homes in the courtyard, where they will get a form to fill in to apply for child maintenance.
“The form requires the other parent’s information (name, surname, phone number and/or date of birth) and expenditure costs. If the parent has no information about where the parent in question resides, the court must investigate,” she mentioned.
She added that if the matter needs investigating, the maintenance investigator will investigate the parent in question.
She said once that is done the court gives a court date once the parent in question has been served all the relevant court papers.
“An agreement will be put on the table. If the parents disagree, the matter will go to court for a formal inquiry, where the judge will decide how much the parent in question should contribute towards child maintenance,” she cited.
She concluded, saying that should the agreement lapse, the parent who applied for child maintenance should return to court and inform it so further interventions can take place.
The elders waiting to be assisted by the Home Affairs mobile department were grateful, explaining that the service was fast and efficient. Many mentioned they wished the department would consider demarcating lines at the branches to limit senior citizens from standing in long queues the whole day.
Resident Thabo Kgohlwane obtained a lot of information from different departments. He explained how much of a relief the various departments have been to him.
“I am happy these different departments came to provide service delivery in our area. I am pleased the CPF came because this area faces many criminal activities for which we need solutions. It will also help find ways to reach out to the police and the CPF when we need help or professional official advice,” he said.
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