Hanis celebrates ID milestone

Johannesburg, 19 Feb 2002

The Department of Home Affairs yesterday celebrated what it described as one of the most important milestones in its history.

The department accepted the basic commissioning of the Home Affairs National Identification System (Hanis), a paper-to-digital project that has spanned six years and cost R440 million to date. R800 million has been budgeted for its full implementation.

The automated fingerprint identification system, delivered by the MarPless consortium, will now see the 40 million paper identity records held by the Department of Home Affairs converted to digital format within a year. All current records, comprising a full set of fingerprints, a photograph and personal details will then be available for immediate verification or checking. The second phase is to see a shift from the current paper-based application process for identity documents to an electronic system.

<B>Hanis timeline</B>

Early-1980s - Universal population register compiled.
Mid-1980s - Automated fingerprint system investigated, but found unfeasible.
Early-1990s - A second feasibility study culminates in a potential business plan.
1995 - Home Affairs decides to proceed with Hanis.
January 1996 - Cabinet approves the project.
December 1996 - Hanis tender published.
February 1999 - Tender awarded to MarPless.
November 1999 - Supply contract signed.
January 2000 - Project is launched.
February 2002 - Basic system commissioning.

Once in place, the digital identity records are to serve as the foundation of national identity smart cards to be issued to every citizen. Such cards are to make it possible to verify identities through fingerprinting in both online and offline environments, and this function will be available to private institutions such as banks.

"By itself this system will make the smart card a great contribution to the development of private sector initiatives as, for instance, it can be used for identification purposes in building access control or by vending machines which intend to restrict their products, such as cigarettes, to adults only," says Home Affairs minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

The inclusion of an electronic purse on such cards has been hinted at, but Buthelezi is quick to dampen enthusiasm for a myriad of applications, saying the system should not be made cumbersome.

"In all likelihood we will limit the integration of additional applications on the smart card to one or two additional services only," he says.

The smart cards, however, may not be issued for some time. The original Hanis tender called for bar-coded identity cards to be used, but Buthelezi claims full credit for a decision to replace that with smart cards. The card was subsequently split out of the MarPless tender and is now to be delivered separately.

A decision on what type of smart card to use must still be ratified by Cabinet, with a proposal to be presented to it in the next few weeks.

Buthelezi recently said the cards, first scheduled for issue late last year, are to be made available in the next financial year, but would not reaffirm the timing.

However, a number of issues are still outstanding.

Procurement of the cards themselves, which will run into several billion rand, has been identified as a potential problem. A commission under the leadership of Fink Haysom has been established to guard against misspending in the procurement.

"In a contract like this, worth billions, people already smell a rat even though there is no rat," Buthelezi says.

The Haysom commission is also to recommend ways in which individual privacy can be guarded once the system is operational.

"Hanis is a powerful tool to govern better and more effectively, and to serve our people and deliver to them a greater measure of public services," says Buthelezi. "However, the possibility always exists that any power without relevant checks and balances can always be open to abuse."