https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Green ID books still valid – DHA

10th January 2018

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has dismissed allegations that green barcoded ID books will not be recognised by March.

Speaking to media during a briefing at the Centurion Home Affairs office on Wednesday, DHA deputy director-general Mkuseli Apleni said that the department was concerned about false reports being distributed throughout social media regarding the life span of green barcoded ID books.

“These reports, which first appeared towards the end of 2017, masquerade as a notice from the DHA and claim that March 31, 2018 is the termination date for using the old green-barcoded ID books. This had an effect of driving citizens, in great numbers, to Home Affairs offices to apply for smart ID cards in panic,” he said.

Apleni stressed that these reports were false and called on members of the public to ignore the “mischievous messages”. 

“There is no expiry date for the green bar-coded ID‚” he said.

Apleni further pointed out that the public’s panicked response to the rumours affected the department’s systems negatively, making it difficult to deliver services as expected.

“Our offices in the KwaZulu-Natal province can barely cope with the numbers. These false messages are putting our offices under extreme pressure, unduly, as people rush there in their numbers to get smart ID cards,” he said.

Apleni noted that when the department rolled out the smart ID cards in July 2013, data showed that 38-million people were in possession of the green-barcoded ID books.

He added that the DHS had set out a strategy for a smooth roll-out of the smart ID cards and that, when roll-out of these new ID cards started, first-time applicants and senior citizens were the first to apply, free of charge. This was based on the DHA’s capacity at the time.

Alpeni explained that one workstation had the capacity to handle 28 card applications a day and that it takes 17 minutes to finalise the capturing of an application. On average, an office with three computers is expected to take in 84 applications per day.

“Of our 411 offices, 184 [feature live capture facilities], which can process applications for smart ID cards and passports; 227 offices are still to be modernised. We intend to continue rolling out additional smart ID card offices to cover the majority of our population in all provinces,” he concluded.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

Yale Lifting Solutions
Yale Lifting Solutions

Yale Lifting Solutions is a leading supplier of lifting and material handling equipment in Southern Africa. Yale offers a wide range of quality...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Rio-Carb
Rio-Carb

Our Easy Access Chute concept was developed to reduce the risks related to liner maintenance. Currently, replacing wear liners require that...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.099 0.148s - 166pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now