Home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has described the cancelled smart ID card project as “a blessing in disguise”, as the department's front-office was not ready for it.
“Since we have withdrawn that contract, it appears our front-offices were not equipped to deal with the production of smart ID cards. We are currently upgrading them so they will be in the future,” she said yesterday at a Parliamentary media conference, ahead of her budget vote speech.
Dlamini-Zuma said the department's objective was to do away with paper systems, meaning cameras, biometric and other equipment had to be installed in its offices.
“This would also lead to the lowering of corruption,” she said.
The multibillion-rand smart ID card system was initially awarded to a consortium led by GijimaAst last year. However, an audit showed irregularities in the way it was awarded and the contract was withdrawn.
Dlamini-Zuma did not say if, or when, a new smart ID card system would be introduced. “However, we are going to use this year to prepare our offices for when it will be introduced and hopefully next year we can start rolling out the smart ID card system,” she noted.
The smart ID card system is supposed to replace the current green ID book that South African residents are required to have as proof of identity for various official institutions, such as banks, government services and to vote. Residents can apply for one from the age of 16. However, these ID books are often forged or altered.
“We want to sort out the ID book system properly so that the only new issuances we have are those to people aged 16,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
“We want to identify who was involved at every step of the process. A definite paper trail, so if there is an allegation of corruption, then we can deal with it,” she says.
Dlamini-Zuma said 3 833 home affairs employees have been inducted onto this biometric system so far.
Deputy home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba said the Government Printing Works, a division of the department, was moving to its new premises in Pretoria. This would increase security and allow for the use of new high-technology equipment, he explained.
“The Government Printing Works has been contracted to produce the smart cards for African Union diplomats and for the Airports Company of SA. It is proving to be very capable as the government's premier printer of security documents,” Gigaba noted.
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