NELSPRUIT – People will start to be invited to apply for their new Smart ID Cards on Thursday.
Mr Robert Zitha, provincial manager of the Department of Home Affairs, said the minister, Ms Naledi Pandor will invite the public nationwide to start applying for their Smart ID Cards during a breakfast meeting on Thursday.
Citizens will be invited by home affairs to apply according to their dates of birth. The Smart ID Cards in Mpumalanga is currently being rolled out in Nelspruit, Witbank and in Middelburg. Offices in Piet Retief and Ermelo are also being equipped to follow soon.
“Currently, we are busy with some of the politicians,” he said following the application for a card made by the premier, Mr David Mabuza, on Tuesday.
According to the department’s website, the cards will phased in over the next five to seven years, while the green barcoded ID books currently in use are phased out.
According to the Department of Home Affairs:
- The Smart ID Card benefit citizens or the country by helping to combat identity theft, fraudulent activities related to drivers licences, social grants, financial institutions, and insurance.
- The card features high-level security features prevent hacking.
- It is extremely difficult to either intercept or to duplicate the Smart ID Card.
- The information that will be on the body of the card will be your names, gender, citizen’s status, date of birth and ID number.
- To apply for a new Smart ID Card, a South African citizen must bring along their green bar-coded ID. First-time applicants should bring along their birth certificate, proof of address and, in case of minors, be accompanied by a parent. Permanent residents must bring their green bar-coded ID or a permanent residence certificate and proof of address.
- There will be no need for applicants to bring photos. The environment for the Smart ID Card will cater for both application processes.
- It takes 14 working days for an applicant to receive the card in cases of a straight-forward application meeting all the requirements.
- To collect the card, citizens and permanent residents will have to present themselves at the office where they applied to for the card.
- The Department of Home Affairs will take back the green barcoded ID book to be cancelled in accordance to the Identification Act when the card is issued.
- The first issue for the card is free of charge while a re-issue will cost R140, the same as a green bar coded ID.
- Citizens who have Smart ID Cards at the time of the elections later this year, will use the cards to vote.
