Smart ID cards issued to disabled
The first of millions of smart ID cards expected to be rolled out in the next six years were issued to South Africans with disabilities in November.
A week of issuing smart IDs to people with disabilities formed part of the Department of Home Affairs’ initiative to mark the month of the disabled.
Sassa disability grant recipients and pupils at some schools for children with special needs were chosen to be part of the first roll out to the public.
However, Home Affairs minister Naledi Pandor said the full implementation of the smart IDs will take six to eight years to complete, adding that the public should wait to be informed before going to the offices to apply for their smart ID.
She explained that people will be notified to apply for their smart ID according to their months of birth.
She added that the green barcoded ID remains a legal form of identity.
The cards will be issued free to 16-year-olds who are first-time applicants, while all other applicants will be expected to pay R140.
The department has also reached an agreement with National Treasury to waiver the application fee for pensioners aged 60 and older.
The smart ID, which in October won an award for the best designed smart ID card for 2013 during the Asia, Middle East and Africa High Security Printing conference, has the word ID written on the front of the card in Braille – assisting blind people to easily identify the card.
Meanwhile, in October the department began invalidating all the identity numbers of those who have multiple identity numbers and by the end of December will invalidate the identity numbers of those who share identity numbers.
Pandor advised the public to check the status of their identity numbers at www.dha.gov.za
