Getting e-passport is 'a hassle'

PATRICIA MAGANU
Staff Writer | Monday June 21, 2010 00:00

Almost everyone understands that they have to get the e-passport. The main question is: What has the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs done to accommodate the rush that will be caused by the panic to get the document?

The pressure from South Africa has put pressure on Batswana to get the e-passport to visit relatives, buy supplies, or to go and watch the World Cup games.

Monday was one of those days when there was literally nowhere to set foot in the lounge at the immigration department.

The line just to get the form, which is filled inside the lounge led all the way to the reception desk.

It became a learn-as-you-go process because people did not know what they were supposed to bring for approval of the application.

People could not believe it once they had the e-passport in their hands. One lady had been there since 8:30 and finally got the passport by 11am.

'We should make suggestions to help them better the process because it is certainly not this long it is just the way they have structured it that makes it so hard,' she said.

Queuing at the first long line to collect the forms, applicants did not know whether they needed their Omang card.The Omang was required.

Many people did not know that until they joined the queue only to be told to go and make a copy of the Omang.

An old man who had been getting most of the information from the lines was astonished that the roll-out program was taken to Hukuntsi, Tshabong and Gantsi. There is none in the Central District.

He said it was also funny that he had come from Maun to Gaborone when he could have gone closer to his home.'I could have gone to Gantsi to get this passport but now here I am because I did not know and in a few days I will be back here to pick it up as they do not allow for someone to pick it for you,' he said.

While waiting in line, you also have to be filling out your form.

Many old people could not fill out a form to begin with.

And even if they could, could they do it while standing in a line so as to avoid losing their place?

One old woman had to desperately look for someone young to fill in her form as she was getting close to the officer.

Though it is only fair to admit that the form is short and simpler than the one for the previous passport, it still cannot be easy for an old person to fill because the forms are not allowed out of the office.

After the Commissioner of Oaths there is another painful wait at the revenue office to pay for the passport. If you want the express service you pay P390 and if it is the normal service, P260.

People had to finally protest at the picture line. There were two cameras but only one was in operation.

One of the managers, after much shouting, went and got an officer who was sitting at the back and the line started moving again.

The easiest process, even though there is some delay, is collecting the e-passport.

When you collect  it, it is not as tedious as starting. I think that is why people become so excited once they have it in their hand.