1,515 smart card IDs and 563 green ID books uncollected at Alberton home affairs

The department of home affairs (DHA) is facing the problem of an overwhelming number of uncollected ID nationally, and the City of Ekurhuleni is no exception to this problem, reports the Alberton Record.

At the Alberton Home Affairs, there are 1,515 smart card IDs and 563 green ID books still not collected.

The city urges residents to collect their IDs. This will enable them to register for elections during the voter registration period in January 2019.

The city says uncollected IDs hamper service delivery programmes as residents without IDs cannot register for other important municipal services such as RDP houses. They cannot even collect their title deeds when they are available.

Among the services the residents forgo when they do not have IDs is the ability to enlist on the city’s indigent database. Without IDs, residents are not able to access free water and electricity and indigent rebates they are entitled to.

To this end, the city has entered into a partnership with the department of home affairs to fast-track ID collection. To help with the collection of IDs, the city will provide transport to elderly residents and people with disabilities, as well as to military veterans.

Non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and churches have also been roped in to assist. The city is using its community outreach programme, Siyaqhuba, to help with application processing and collection of birth certificates and IDs.