Going to the dept of Home Affairs in Africa is always fun, I mean who wouldn't want to go stand in a line for 7 hours, just to be allowed into the building to cue...
Seriously it felt like camping outside a ticket sales office to get into the next best show!
But I guess if yo need a passport in order to go visit the love of your life or simply have a plan to get out of the country in case the shit hits the fan - I guess this is your only option.
I started out in the cue at about 7am, that is an hour and a half before they opened, and I finally managed to get into the home affairs cue inside just after 2pm.
But at least the wait was entertaining, I made some friends and and at least had some entertaining posters to read while I stood.
Like lovely advertisements from local sangomas (African witch doctors), promising to rekindle lost love, improve luck or grow a bigger penis!
Or these lovely manikins, with their drawn on eyebrows and lashes - done so realistic if I can say so myself :D
But over and above the fear of getting mugged or sold for spare parts - another fear was if the roof of the building above us was going to collapse and crush us all to death making the stand in the line a futile effort.
And then of course this lovely finishing school that certainly pays a great deal of respect to detail, cleanliness and neatness.
What are we if we are not finished - hey?
This little high end add on the other hand was completely convincing - this had to be real, because there was pictures and everything!
Just in case you feel like calling from an international line, the South African code is (+27) so youd have to substitute the first zero with that.
After a few weeks of waiting - I finally got the call to collect my passport, sadly, when I got there the offices were closed due to covid, guess you win some you lose some.
I will have to wait until after the new year and try again.