From line to line

I've just spent a couple of days with my great uncle and aunt,
Willem & Beaulah, in Pretoria (also now known as Tshwane). The
purpose of this brief visit was to make some headway with my
application for dual citizenship in by going to the government offices
in person. Having never applied for citizenship in America, I cannot
really compare, but speaking to my uncle and aunt, it is apparent
South Africa's government is a bureaucratic jungle at the moment.
News of the latest peace talks in Zimbabwe made us hopeful that I
wouldn't have to contend with the long lines of illegal immigrants
waiting to be made legitimate.

For those of you who have not been kept abreast of my citizenship
trials and travails, it has been a long and tedious process! I first
began my application as I was told my South African heritage has
already sealed me as a citizen by blood relation. Because of
Apartheid laws in effect at birth I did not automatically become a
citizen on paper, so I was told I must apply. It's been very
frustrating as I began in Dec. 2005 with the understanding it would
only take 6-9 months and it has now been almost 3 years. After
calling the S.A. Consulate in Chicago monthly, I decided it best to
make it a priority during my first weeks here.

I arrived early at the Department of Home Affairs armed with copies of
my 2005 and 2007 citizenship applications and my uncle's house maid,
Maria, who they sent with me for her knowledge of the local languages,
Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, and Ndebele. I went from a main line to the
birth registration line to the late registration line to the permit
line to the....every time I got to a counter and spoke with an
official, I was sent to another line. Maria was very helpful with her
local tongue and helped me feel not so alone and more confident as I
spoke with each official. Eventually, I was told I was at the wrong
office and that I would need to make an appointment at the head
offices.

Last minute, a contact of aunt Beaulah's came through. I met this
contact in person and she discovered that there was one incomplete
form. Apparently, this form was discovered incomplete in 2006 and
they have been waiting on me to complete it!!! I still cannot believe
it. All they needed from me was a stupid mailing address and a
signature. For three years!!! Completely idiotic that the Chicago
Consulate did not catch this and that S.A. did not communicate this.
So it's all filled out now and I'm back to the patient waiting game.
I called the head office today, as recommended, to find out the next
steps, but their computers were down. We shall see, but it seems this
woman helped me push it through and I'm back on track again. If all
goes well, I should have my papers soon-ish and be eligible to begin
the passport application.

It seems an awful lot of headache and for what?! Will I need to live
in South Africa beyond my volunteer years? At the very least, it
cannot hurt to have an additional citizenship. One never knows when a
country may change its laws and it won't be possible for dual
citizenship. Just look at Europe. For now, it allows for flexibility
and should I need for an extra job to help me out while I'm here, I
can easily qualify. And I will legally belong to the two countries
where my family lives and will forever be able to move freely between
them, as I choose. Now that is priceless.