Bolander attempted to contact the Department of Home Affairs spokesperson to obtain confirmation on the registration and certification of the marriage reported on.
First attempts to contact provincial media offices by calling the contact listed for Samuel Plaatjies and the landline numbers of the department proved futile, as the landline numbers were unanswered on numerous occasions and cellphone number is no longer in existence.
Bolander then reached out to the national office first Siyabulela Qoza, Chief Director for Communications in the department, and he did not answer the call, then followed up with sending him a message with the media enquiry. This was not responded to.
Then Bolander reached out to national spokesperson Thabo Mokgola, by calling his number, he did not answer the call and asked to be sent a message. Which we did and he then instructed Bolander to send the enquiry to David Hlabane.
Bolander called Mr Hlabane on his cellphone, but he did not answer and followed up with an email, as instructed by Mr Mokgola and a subsequent text to ask about receipt of the email. The comprehensive email explained the request for official confirmation from the Department and the deadlines for this request.
Bolander made one last attempt before deadline by calling Mr Hlabane again on Friday November 3, but no answer and left a voice message asking him to return the call.
Phone calls to the Mitchell’s Plain Department of Home Affairs on all numbers listed on the Department’s website went unanswered as well as an email to the office manager.
None of the email and text messages/phone calls were responded to by the Department of Home Affairs officials at the time of going to print. Should the Department respond, this will be reported on when received.