Kya Sands resident affected by the fire receive their identity documents

Lusanda Bill
23 October 2014

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba today handed over 177 Identity Documents to the victims of the fire in Kya Sands, Randburg.

Hundreds of people were left homeless after a blaze ripped through 1 200 shacks about two weeks ago.

Minister Gigaba said the process for the asylum seekers affected to receive their papers will take longer.

Gigaba added that the process is that we have to check at the entire system to establish where they had applied and their conditions of their applications before we can reissue their permits.

Meanwhile Minister Gigaba said the department waived all fees when the over 2 000 people affected by the blaze applied for their identity documents.

Minister Gigaba said the issuing of an id normally takes about two weeks but because of the urgency of the matter the process had to fast-tracked.

He added that the department’s priority was to those who had lost their documents because we did not want it to impact on school and work situation. 

“However those who have applied for the first time will be subjected to the same process as everyone else” Gigaba added.