LYDENBURG – The Department of Home Affairs has started replacing the green bar-coded identity documents with Smart ID Cards. According to Ms Angel Yende, the office manager, the department would like to urge the community to visit its offices for applications.
“We started last month and we want to cancel the old ID books and make sure that everyone has the new ones,” Yende said. Pensioners older than 60 and 16-year-olds are eligible to apply for free.
“The 16-year-old must be a first-time applicant, to qualify to get it for free. For those who want a reissue, they will have to pay R140.”
The requirements for the new ones are not that different from the old methods, and the changes are few. “When the community members come they must not bring a photograph.
We have a photo booth that we use in our office for capturing pictures. Some people brought their own photos and they were insisting that we use them although we cannot accept any pictures.”
To avoid fraud, the department will request proof from the applicant. “Make sure that you bring your particulars, such as a birth certificate, and your mother’s ID. If your parents died, bring a death certificate or your guardian’s information and to reissue bring your old ID book,” said Yende.
“We would like the applicants to be patient when they come to our offices since the elderly are our priority. We will assist them first, and then the disabled and pregnant women will be our second priority.
“We want to urge the applicants who applied for their new IDs to come and collect them. The system has changed and documents do not take months to come back, it takes days,” said Yende.
“The department also introduced new passports. Unlike the ID the passport is still a booklet since when people travel it still needs to be stamped.”
Home affairs also has new working hours. “The offices are open from 08:00 to 16:00 and we also open on the last Saturday of the month,” she said.
