By Aneeqa Du Plessis
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has condemned the viral incident in which a woman was forcibly removed from its Tyger Valley branch, calling the episode both “distressing” and “unacceptable.”
In a statement, DHA confirmed that the woman did not have a valid appointment on its booking system and appears to have been misled into purchasing a slot from a third party. “This practice is illegal and exploitative,” the department said, noting that all Home Affairs appointments are free and issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Department’s Counter-Corruption Unit is now actively investigating those responsible. The private security guard involved in the incident has since been removed, and DHA says it is reviewing branch procedures to prevent similar occurrences.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with VOC News, Jerome Herdien, who has been identified as the alleged third-party booking agent linked to the incident, denied scamming clients. Herdien, the owner of Quality Assured Online Appointment Bookings (Pty) Ltd, claims he has facilitated Home Affairs bookings for several years and alleges that appointments linked to his email address were selectively removed from the Tyger Valley branch system. He insists that bookings at other Home Affairs offices remain unaffected and says he has since advised clients to use their own email addresses when making appointments.
VOC News is also seeking to trace the woman in the video in the hope of assisting her to obtain the required documentation through official Home Affairs channels.
VOC News
