Searching public records in South Africa is not normally something that everyone has to do. However, if you are an employer who would like to hire new staff and employees, then it may be a necessary evil in today’s day and age. Searching for the history of someone you would like to employ may reveal that they have a criminal background, which can be considered a reason not to hire them, particularly if the job requires dealing with money. In addition, if you are entering into a marriage, then a public records search is normally necessary to ensure that your fiancé is divorced or is single. It is also a really useful source of information on your family if you’re interested in their genealogy.
If you’re not sure how to go about searching public records in South Africa but feel that it is something you’d like to do to develop your family history then a good place to start is by chatting to the police. Although this may sound scary, particularly if you have a criminal background or have been convicted of a crime, they have the best access to public records. If the thought of this is simply too much for you, then another place to start may be the offices of your local municipality or the public library. If you’re more technologically advanced, you can use the Internet to reveal information about your family or your future husband or wife.
If you want to seek information about marriage in your family or more information about who was divorced, then a good resource is the court records. They will also reveal information about the criminal background of any of your relatives or of your future spouse. Using public records is a great way to learn the history of someone, or more about your own genealogy, but you should proceed with caution when searching public records in South Africa.