Passport application for SA citizen under 18, divorced parents

Hello All,

I'm hoping someone might have gone through this situation themselves and be able to offer me some advice.

I am a British citizen residing in the UK, I have a daughter who is a South African Citizen who resides with her South African mother in Cape Town, South Africa. Myself and the mother are divorced, we were married at the time of my daughters birth and I am on the Birth Certificate.

My daughter has a passport (childs version) that expired in December last year. I wish her to have a passport as she wishes to come here to the UK this year (probably to live permanentaly).

My ex wife has informed me that I need to travel to the UK High Commission to submit a form confirming that I am happy for my daughter to have this passport. It seems mind numbingly stupid that I cannot go to my local solicitor, have them withness my sighning the document and notarise it to that effect and then send it directly to my ex for the application.

I have tried to get an appointment at the London High Commission since March, around 200 dropped phone calls and 27 unanswered emails later I am at the point where I no longer know what to do. Even by South African standards this is becoming farcial, all I need to do is give these people a stupid form!

Does anyone know if there is a way around this dumb rule, even if I have to pay for it and visit some specialist somewhere?