Why are South Africans talking about their ID books?
Why are South Africans talking about their ID books?
Why are South Africans talking about their ID books? More than half are still using the old green ID books and are concerned about their validity.
HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE LATEST DEBATE
According to a report by MoneyWeb, the Department of Home Affairs is years behind in its plan to replace green ID books with smart ID cards.
That means South Africans who have yet to adopt the new ID card will likely be able to continue using their ID books for many years.
While Home Affairs’ initial plans were to phase out the old IDs between 2018 and 2022, the pace of smart ID card adoption has been insufficient to meet that timeline.
WILL THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE ID BOOKS?
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) introduced the smart ID card in July 2013 to replace the green ID book.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi recently said the DHA was on track to achieve its annual target of 2.5 million ID cards in the 2023/2024 financial year.
At that rate, it would take another seven years to issue 17 million more ID cards and reach the original target, not accounting for any first-time ID applicants.
MILLIONS OF SOUTH AFRICANS ARE STILL USING THEIR GREEN ID BOOKS
The report furthermore said the department recently revealed that this had increased to just 21 million by December 2023. That makes up just about 55.3% of the original 38 ID books estimated to be in circulation.
However, many of those in the 21 million would have been South Africans who never had an ID document, including citizens who turned 16.
Those who used a DHA branch that did not yet support smart ID cards would have received a booklet instead.
But why would you like to get a smart ID card instead?
HERE IS WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET A SMART ID CARD:
The smart ID card features a host of benefits over the booklet-style IDs, including:
- A microchip that securely stores a citizen’s data, including biometric information like a photograph of their face and their fingerprints.
- A “match on card” feature that enables verifying biometrics with the microchip itself without connection to a central database, enhancing citizen’s privacy.
- Various visual features on the card to prevent forgery
- Polycarbonate ID card body that is durable and designed to stand the test of time
Meanwhile, in other news, hundreds of South Africans relying on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant face hurdles due to Sassa’s new identity verification process.