A hot debate developed at the Government Technology World Conference in Midrand yesterday on the subject of smart ID cards.
The three-day conference, organised by Terrapinn, aimed to deliver information on Africa`s planning and investment policies, maximising public service efficiency, development and infrastructure.
The debate arose during a panel discussion on the citizen value generated by technology in government. A delegate asked what measures the Department of Home Affairs is taking to ensure people`s identities are safe, especially in view of these details being in a single repository and therefore vulnerable.
The current system is not secure, resulting in people`s identities being stolen, said Kgabo Hlahla, Home Affairs deputy director general of information services, adding this is why several South African women have been married without their knowledge in residency scams.
Smart IDs would not only carry a citizen`s details, but the information would be highly secure, leaving little chance that it could be accessed by an unauthorised person, Hlahla argued.
The question of why the South African government needed as much detail on citizens as required by the smart ID card was raised by Chris Haynes, senior advisor on e-government in the office of the deputy prime minister, UK.
He argued that government should not have too much information about its citizens and it is a ridiculous notion that such a move is good for the citizens.
"The government is not entitled to that much information," he said. "It does not own people; government is there to serve the people."
It is a violation of human rights to make citizens give over such information, which additionally can never be secure enough, he argued. "If you put all the citizen`s identity information in one place, it makes identity theft much easier."
In response, Hlahla argued that SA is different from the UK, Australia and several other countries, where citizens are uncomfortable with the notion of government having their fingerprints. He said such nations "see snakes where there are none", and while Europe makes technology it is afraid of, Africa will use technology to benefit its citizens.
According to previous statements from the Department of Home Affairs, smart ID cards will be rolled-out from the end of 2007.
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