CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LEADERS
The Minister said while the pilot was taking place, officials from his department and the banks would work towards ensuring that security systems are not breached. He said the new system would also help to address the infrastructure challenges that the department has in some of its offices, especially with regards to broadband connectivity. “Not all our offices have broadband connectivity, but most banks do. So it will help to disperse the clients seeking services at our offices by enabling them to also go to their banks. Currently, applicants of the new high-tech smart ID cards only have to wait for three to four days to get their cards from the day they submit their applications. The department currently has 140 offices with a live capture capability, and once banks come on board, applicants might end up getting their cards quicker than the anticipated times. The Minister added the department would expand the live capture system to another 28 offices during
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba.
the new financial year. While only senior citizens older than 60 years or 16-year-old first-time applicants are eligible for smart ID
which would go a long way in ensuring that citizens are served conveniently and efficiently.
cards, those who approach the department to replace
“So, the modernisation programme is not complete. It is actually far
their stolen or lost documentation will be issued with
from being complete, although it is already giving us hope, exciting
the new smart ID card.
us and showing us of how things could be.
Establishing a Modernisation Task Team
Team, which is going to bring together all the relevant role players –
Minister Gigaba said modernisation is key to his depart-
from Public Works, Sector Education and Training Authorities, National
ment’s turnaround strategy as it plays a role in integrat-
Treasury as well as us and Government Printing Works,” he said.
“Part of what we are trying to do is to establish a Modernisation Task
ing all crucial services for efficient service delivery.
The task team would look at long-term plans for eGovernance in
Currently, the department’s co-network is not inte-
terms of Home Affairs and replace ageing infrastructure to ensure
grated, and this means components like the NPR are
that the department keeps up with new technologies, Minister Gi-
separated from the national immigration identification
gaba added.
system and the Home Affairs national identification system.
Deadline for late registration of births
“We need to integrate those into one system – the
The Minister said government would continue with its campaign to
national identification system – for both South Afri-
register children within 30 days of birth, as part of maintaining the
can citizens as well as foreign nationals that are in our
integrity of the NPR.
country.” He said the second anchor to the turnaround strategy is to provide an uninterrupted network supply. The third anchor, the Minister added, is eChannel,
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“To this end, we have announced that we will cease the process of the late registration of births by 31 December 2015. “This critical milestone will ensure that we safeguard our identity, citizenship and secure our population register,” he said.
Public Sector Manager • April 2015