nightmare with online id application at Dept of Home Affairs

I don't think this will get any response from the Dept of Home Affairs being one of the most dysfunctional government departments in South Africa. But I just have to vent my frustration somewhere.

I registered online for a new identity document for my son, with the hope that I would be able to avoid the insane queues and do it at my Standard Bank branch in Durban.

I registered on the 24 of August 2021 and it is now the 16 September and I am still trying to book a time slot online. I have been trying at least once a day, everyday . I keep getting a "no bookings available" message. So I thought let me try in the middle of the night, may be I will have better luck. Wouldn't you know it, the OTP system is always turned off so that I cannot log on. It is now 4:30 am on 16 September as I type this and I still cannot get an OTP. This happens every time when I try and log in between 12 am and 6am.

The surprising thing is that I can always find a time slot in Cape Town or Johannesburg but never in Durban. My suspicion is that someone in the Durban Home Affairs office is selling booking slots which is why they are never available.

Looks like I will have to go and face the insane queues at the Home Affairs office on of the days.