Dear Minister Schreiber,

I am an undertaker and therefore routinely have contact with your Somerset West Home Affairs Department. I am utterly frustrated and in despair at the arrogance and sheer ineptitude that the staff display towards members of the public. We are treated as an inconvenience to the staff and my experience today typifies the sheer lack of empathy or good will to assist me.
I arrived at the branch today at 2pm to register a death for an urgent cremation scheduled for Monday 3rd February. This office has a notice stating they will close at 2;30pm for fumigation however the cashier took it upon themselves to simply close up at 2pm. No explanations given and certainly no advance warning given. The result was that I could not have a marriage certificate printed to then allow for the death certificate to be issued. The consequence of this meant that a grieving family who's Mother committed suicide are now further traumatised because her body will not be cremated as arranged (as required by their religious beliefs). When I attempted to plead with staff to have the cashier just do her job I was met with shrugged shoulders and blank expressions. I explained the consequences this would have and there was not even one glimmer of remorse or empathy from the staff I attempted to engage with.
I hope that you agree that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and it certainly goes directly against the Home Affairs strapline "We Care". Quite clearly they do not.
Something needs to change - and rapidly before this department continues on a downward spiral such as it was before you took office. Frankly since you did take office the only change I have seen is a shiny poster on the walls encouraging members of the public to engage and email the department. My husband did so on 21st November regarding an application for citizenship which has been stuck in your system since March 2023 - and yes, you guessed it, that email has not even been acknowledged.
Finally I challenge you to have a senior member of staff meet with me and come undercover to experience first hand the disgusting and unacceptable treatment dished out by your department to members of the public.