For many South Africans waking up at the crack of dawn to be among the first in frustratingly long queues at home affairs branches, has become a part of their lives but that’s all soon going to be in the past.
The department has launched a new e-channel portal that will allow citizens to apply for their new smart ID cards online. The system is designed to alleviate the congestion at home affairs branches.
“This is a very important development as we seek to build a state that is responsive to the needs of the people by providing better, faster and more secure services. This service is one step further in the ongoing quest to make the services provided by the department of home affairs more accessible to all our people. Government is modernising the department of home affairs and it’s also improving security.” Said South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma
Home affairs minister says the echannel pilot project will radically change the way citizens engage with the department.
“For a long time people have thought of our department as a department that offers menial services, when the people think of home affairs they think of long queues, of documents that will be worn out, that can be stolen, whose pictures can be changed, whose details can be transfered to somebody else, they be thinking of inconvenience. We are redreaming, re imagining, re packaging the department of home affairs.” Said Mulusi Gigaba, Home Affairs Minister
The department is collaborating with four major banks in the country. Citizens will now be able to apply online, for Identity documents and passports and visit the local banks for photos and finger prints to be processed. The banking association says this will go a long way in fighting identity theft.
“With the banking sector we certainly see the fight against crime, the fight against organised crime, responsibility to create a safer South Africa, the responsibility to create a better country for our citizens as a collective responsibility. We don’t believe that it’s just the responsibility of government but of business and civil society as well.” Said Kalyani Pillay, Banking Association of South Africa
The pilot project is being run in Gauteng and limited branches in Cape Town.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MLz8I1DpEU&feature=youtu.be
