WHILE the resumption of national ID card production has been welcomed by many, frustration mounted among citizens over yesterday’s ceiling of 60 people who were assisted and the distance between government offices and the Manzini Post Office where service fees were paid.
Ministry of Home Affairs Principal Secretary Nhlanhla Nxumalo announced on Sunday that ID card production services would resume yesterday after months of suspension due to a malfunction in ID production printers.
Services had been halted on September 24, 2025.
Long queues formed outside the government complex in Manzini, where IDs are processed.
Some citizens raised concerns about the payment process, saying it caused unnecessary delays.
One man said he had to travel to the Manzini Post Office to pay the service fee, despite the revenue office being located within the same government complex.
“I had to go and pay a service fee at the post office, regardless of the fact that the revenue office is right here. If only I could pay here, maybe I would have gone through the process quicker,” he said.
When interviewed around 11am, members of the public expressed concerns over the maximum of 60 people who would be assisted for the day.
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Although they had been told that only 60 people would be serviced, many opted to continue queueing in the hope of being attended to.
One woman from Luve, who had accompanied her 16-year-old daughter, said she arrived at the government offices around 7am and was number 53 in the queue.
As the service had been unavailable for over four months, she said she only heard that ID production would resume the previous evening during a night vigil. Despite her early arrival, she remained anxious about possible technical challenges.
“I hope there are no glitches before my child has her photo taken. Asisatsembi phela,” she said, chuckling.
She welcomed the prioritisation of learners aged 16, who receive the service free of charge.
At one point, a Home Affairs officer was heard calling on learners to prepare for their ID photos, warning that those who loitered away from the queue risked being overtaken by non-learners and might have to return the following day.
A 16-year-old learner who had just reached the eligible age said she arrived as early as 6am.
“I just turned 16 years old. I heard people my age can have the service rendered free of charge,” she said, expressing relief that learners were being prioritised despite the daily cap.
Ministry of Home Affairs Eswatini Communications Officer Mlandvo Dlamini was asked why citizens were advised to pay at the post office when a revenue office is located within the government complex.
He said, as far as he knew, members of the public were allowed to pay for government services either at revenue offices or nearby post offices.
