Good morning, Dr. Leon Schreiber
I hope this e-mail finds you well.

This is a desperate outreach with the hope that I will be assisted.
On 22.12.2025 me and my husband applied for our unabridged marriage certificate.
We completed the form at the Bay West home affairs office in Port Elizabeth Eastern Cape.
The service was not too friendly, on our request of a timeline receiving the certificate the consultant informed us a 6 to 8 week waiting period.
She gave us the following contact details: 0800601190 and hacc@dha.gov.za.

I am writing to urgently request assistance with the issuance of our marriage certificate.
• On 23 February 2026, my husband visited your office in person and was informed that the certificate had not yet arrived, with no indication of when it might be available.
• On 25 February 2026, I personally visited the office. I joined the queue at 13:45 and waited nearly two hours before being assisted. During this time, I observed that staff were slow to attend to new customers, and some consultants remained occupied with the same individuals for extended periods.
• When I was finally assisted at 15:30, I was informed that the certificate was still not available. I explained that we urgently require the certificate for a meeting scheduled the following day. I requested that the consultant contact someone for clarification, as I had been unable to reach the 0800601190 number provided and had received no response to my email.
• The consultant said she would inform her supervisor, but when I approached him, he responded dismissively and refused to assist. None of the staff wore name badges, which made it difficult to identify them.
• I then asked to speak to the branch manager. She arrived while eating and did not introduce herself. She directed me to the query office, but the staff member there had already left for the day. The manager stated that the certificate may not be obtainable because the original marriage record book from 1999 is required.
Throughout this process, I felt ignored, disrespected, and received no apology or acknowledgment for the poor service.
We urgently need this marriage certificate for our upcoming interview. I respectfully request immediate assistance in issuing the certificate or, at the very least, a clear indication of when it will be available.
I have sent three e-mails and made numerous calls but with no success.
We need the certificate before 18.03.2026 and I am desperate just to be acknowledged.
Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.
Regards
Michelle van der Merwe