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Mass smart ID card rollout begins

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 03 Feb 2014
New smart IDs are expected to rule out the security flaws of the green ID books.
New smart IDs are expected to rule out the security flaws of the green ID books.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) began the mass rollout of smart ID cards this past weekend, inviting first-time applicants and pensioners to apply at 28 offices across SA.

The initial deployment for pensioners will go according to birth month, with the DHA set to cater for those born in January and February first. "All other citizens are called upon to await invitations to apply," says the DHA in a statement.

According to home affairs minister Naledi Pandor, 100 000 smart ID cards are expected to be issued by the end of March and applicants can expect a paperless process using biometric technology to record card details.

"The rollout of the smart ID cards to all eligible South Africans will take a few years and the department, accordingly, makes an appeal for the public to exercise patience," continues the statement.

Green ID books - which Pandor said have "been open to fraud and abuse" - will be phased out as more citizens are invited to apply for the new cards in the coming months.

The following offices have been earmarked for the roll-out process:

Gauteng: Soweto; Akasia and Byron Place, in Pretoria; Harrison Street in Johannesburg

Limpopo: Jane Furse, Polokwane and Tzaneen

North West: Potchefstroom, Rustenburg and Klerksdorp

Mpumalanga: Nelspruit, Middleburg and Emalahleni

Free State: Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Welkom

Northern Cape: Kimberley, Kuruman and Upington

KwaZulu-Natal: Mtubatuba, Durban-commercial and Pietermaritzburg

Eastern Cape: Port Elizabeth, Mthatha and King William's Town

Western Cape: Wynberg, George and Barrack Street

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